I Never Told You
by 12naley23
Summary: AU: Nathan and Haley had a summer romance while meeting on vacation, right before college. But what happens when they loose touch, and suddenly fate intervenes when they meet again five years later
1. I'll See You Again

I know the last thing I need to be doing right now is starting a new story BUT i had this idea in my head and I really wanted to post it. Plus the chapter I wrote for GYHAB got deleted so I posted this instead. Let me know what you think! Tmrw I should post chapter 23 for my other fic. If you haven't read it check it out!

* * *

Haley James took a deep breath as she impatiently tapped her fingers against her steering wheel. She let out a long sigh and tilted her head back against her drivers seat. She had a rough day at work. Teaching High Schoolers for a living was not as easy as people tended to think. Her head was pounding, and her stomach growled with deep hunger. She was unable to eat lunch due to a meeting that was scheduled during her off period. It was now 5:30 and all Haley wanted to do was eat and take a long hot bath. Unfortunately, the traffic in Tree Hill was backed up from a recent car crash, which made Haley's normal 15 minute commute from work to her house, become a 25 minute wait. Haley groaned as her car moved up about an inch in the last 3 minutes. She sighed again, and decided to turn on the radio. At first, she wasn't paying attention to the lyrics, but when the chorus came on, her interest peaked. Her heart sunk in her chest as she thought of him. Her first, and only love. Haley's eyes began to slowly fill with water, as she bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She promised her self she wasn't going to cry. In fact, she hadn't thought of him in a while, but that all changed when that stupid song came on. She blinked rapidly in order to keep her tears at bay, but she failed miserably. Small drops of condensation rolled down Haley's pink cheek, and her heart ached. She knew she was being stupid. It was five years ago. She was 18 at the time, which meant she was young and naive. She still thought about him though. His blue eyes, that sparkled in the light. His tan, muscular stature, and his smile. God, that smirk drove her crazy. Haley often wondered what would have happened if she didn't run away like a little girl. She blew it. Nathan was the best thing that ever happened to her, and she let him slip right through her fingers. She felt herself being pulled into the song. The lyrics basically summed up her life. She continued to bite her lip as she listened.

I miss those blue eyes  
How you kiss me at night  
I miss the way we sleep  
Like there's no sunrise  
Like the taste of your smile  
I miss the way we breathe

But I never told you  
What I should have said  
No, I never told you  
I just held it in

And now I miss everything about you  
I can't believe it, I still want you  
After all the things we've been through  
I miss everything about you  
Without you, whoa...

I see your blue eyes  
Every time I close mine  
You make it hard to see  
Where I belong to  
When I'm not around you  
It's like I'm not with me

But I never told you  
What I should have said  
No, I never told you  
I just held it in

And now I miss everything about you (still you're gone)  
I can't believe it, I still want you (And I'm lovin' you, I never should have walked away)  
After all the things we've been through (I know it's never gonna come again)  
I miss everything about you  
Without you, whoa...

But I never told you  
What I should have said  
No I never told you  
I just held it in

And now I miss everything about you (still you're gone)  
Can't believe it, I still want you (And I'm lovin' you, I never should have walked away)  
After all the things we've been through (I know it's never gonna come again)  
I miss everything about you  
Without you, whoa, no, no...

The song ended, and Haley couldn't help the loud sob that escaped her lips. Tears were streaming down her face, when suddenly a loud booming sound shook the earth. Seconds later, lightning lit up the sky like a lamp. The clouds were charcoal black, that hung low in the sky. A drop of water plopped onto Haley's windshield, and she let our a frustrated moan.

"Of course it has to rain. Stupid freaking rain. Stupid freaking song!" She muttered angrily to her self.

She groaned as she let a hand run through her hair. Haley didn't want to admit it, but she felt like it was fate's way of telling her about him. The last time she kissed him was in the rain. It was also the last day she saw him. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. She found herself getting lost in that day frequently. It was the one of many memories she held on to about him. Haley stared absentmindedly out her window, as the rain pounded against her windows. By now, the drops were falling heavier and faster. Her windshield wipers swayed in rhythm, as they attempted to clear the foggy glass. She suddenly drifted into a vivid flashback, and smiled remembering that day.

_Nathan reluctantly lifted his bag off the ground and threw it in the trunk. He sighed sadly as he looked over at Haley whose eyes were brimming with tears. His heart broke in his chest watching the curly haired blond, breaking at the seems. Nathan shuffled over to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. _

_"This isn't the end Haley. I promise you that. We'll stay in touch, okay?" Nathan whispered in her ear, felting his own eyes fill with tears._

_Haley grabbed the back of Nathan's shirt, and sobbed furiously in his arms. "I'm going to miss you so much." She choked._

_Nathan frowned. "I'm going to miss you too. These past two months have been the best two months of my life."_

_Haley clung on to Nathan, never wanting to let go. "It went so fast." She cried._

_"I know." Nathan choked out, still embracing Haley._

_In the distance, thunder rolled throughout the sky, but neither of them were paying attention._

_Nathan slowly pulled away from Haley, and looked into her big brown eyes, that were now red and puffy as tears streamed down her face. He slowly leaned down and pulled Haley's lips towards his. Nathan then grabbed her face and gave her an earth shattering kiss. He literally poured his heart and soul into that kiss. Gentle drops of liquid started to fall from the enormous clouds, but the couple was so wrapped up in their kiss that they didn't even notice. As the kiss got hotter, and longer, the rain fell harder. Nathan's tongue ravished Haley's mouth, knowing that it might be the last kiss they ever have. Haley also poured everything she had into the kiss, wanting it to never end. The rain was now coming down in buckets, and Nathan and Haley were both completely soaked. _

_Haley giggled softly when Nathan pulled away and ran his hands through his wet hair._

_"Hales, we're gonna get sick!" He yelled._

_"I don't care." She said as she jumped up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him hard._

_Nathan chuckled, when Haley started to twirl around in the rain._

_"C'mere." He said chuckling as he grabbed Haley by the waist, and rested his forehead against hers. "God I love you." Nathan muttered out loud._

_Haley's heart literally sunk in her chest. _

_"What did you just say?" She asked barely above a whisper._

_Nathan squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't mean to say it, but it just slipped out, and now there was no way to undo it. He's been feeling it for a while now. He was never in love before, hell he never even had a girlfriend. At first he didn't think it was normal how strongly he felt about Haley considering they only knew each other for two months, but he finally realized he was in love with her and we wasn't going to hold back anymore. _

_Nathan took a deep breath and gently grabbed Haley's wrists, as he looked deeply into her beautiful eyes. _

_"Haley James, I love you. I'm so in love with you. I will love you always and forever. I will visit you every chance I can get, because you're it for me Hales." Nathan said pouring his heart out as it continued to pour._

_Haley's mouth went dry. She couldn't speak, she couldn't even breathe. "I-I-I" She stuttered._

_Nathan smiled, thinking she would say it back._

_Haley bit her lip, and slowly backed away from Nathan. "I really wish you didn't just say that." Haley whispered._

_Nathan's heart sunk, and shattered into a million pieces. "Wh-what?"_

_Tears fell from Haley's eyes, as Nathan stood there with a gut wrenching feeling in the bit of his stomach. "You can't just say that and leave!" Haley screamed._

_Nathan's eyes drooped. "But Haley I lo-"_

_"No Nathan please stop. I can't do this."_

_"You can't do what?" Nathan strained._

_"You're making this so hard!"_

_Nathan put his hand over his heart. "Haley it's the truth. I'm not going to hold my feelings back."_

_Haley continued to sob as she walked away fro Nathan when he tried to grab her._

_"I'm going to Stanford. You're going to Duke. It's not going to work. You can't play with my feelings like this! Do you expect me to wait for you for four years?" Haley shouted while choking back a sob._

_"Hales, I'm not trying to hurt you. I love you. I'm in love with you! Why is that such a crime?"_

_Haley shook her head furiously. "Just go Nathan."_

_"No! I'm not leaving until we talk about this!" He screamed._

_"Please, Nate. Don't make this harder than this is. Just go." Haley whispered, as she let her tears cascade down her face._

_Nathan ran his hand through his hair. "Fine." He bit back. "I hope you have a great life Haley. I love you. I will always love you. Forever." He said, as he turned away so that she wouldn't see him cry. Haley collapsed on the floor, as she watched Nathan get into his truck, and he slammed the door loudly. He took one look back and frowned. He sunk in his chair, and let the tears fall freely. He just told the girl of his dreams that he was in love with her, and he would never have expected that reaction. He didn't expect her to say it back, but he didn't think they would end like that. His heart was literally crushed, and he put his face in hands, as he began to shake. He was stubborn as a brick wall and he knew he would end up regretting his choice in the end. He knew he should have went back and stayed with Haley, but instead, like an idiot, he kept driving. _

_Haley grasped the pink beaded bracelet he gave her, and she sobbed violently. She watched as his truck drove through the muddy dirt road, and she dragged herself to the front steps of the cabin. She held her knees and sat in the rain for hours, just crying. That was the last time she ever saw him, and she never let that memory slip from her mind it was impossible to forget._

Haley sighed as she listened to the radio, playing with the dial until she found a good enough song and groaned in frustration when she heard the lyrics to the next song.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She muttered out loud. Haley rarely cursed, but when she did, it meant she was upset.

Said goodbye, turned around  
And you were gone, gone, gone  
Faded into the setting sun,  
Slipped away  
But I won't cry  
Cause I know I'll never be lonely  
For you are the stars to me,  
You are the light I follow

_[Chorus:]_  
I'll See you again, oh  
This is not where it ends  
I will carry you with me, oh  
Till I see you again

I can hear those echoes in the wind at night  
Calling me back in time  
Back to you  
In a place far away  
Where the water meets the sky  
The thought of it makes me smile  
You are my tomorrow

_[Chorus:]_  
I'll See you again, oh  
This is not where it ends  
I will carry you with me, oh  
Till I see you again

_[Bridge:]_  
Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking  
But I stay strong and I hold on cause I know  
I'll see you again, oh  
This is not where it ends  
I will carry you with me, yeah yeah

_[Outro:]_  
I'll See you again, oh  
This is not where it ends  
I will carry you with me, oh  
Till I see you again  
Till I see you again,  
Till I see you again,  
Said goodbye turned around  
And you were gone, gone, gone.

Haley sighed tiredly as she pulled into her driveway. It was another long day. She angrily pressed the off button for radio. She didn't need anther reminder about Nathan. She ran into her house trying to shield herself from the rain. As soon as she got in she hung her coat to dry on the rack, and walked straight to the kitchen. She was craving chicken salad. Unfortunately when she opened her fridge she threw her head back and let out a long frustrated sigh. "Great. This is great." She muttered sarcastically. The only content in her fridge were water bottles and eggs. She quickly ran back outside to her car. She drove to the closest super market near her house and parked her car near the entrance. Haley grabbed her bag and held it over her head in an attempt to shield herself from the rain. She walked into the store and ran a hair through her damp curly blond hair in attempt to fix it. She knew exactly what she needed for her food and headed straight toward the produce section. Unfortunately for her she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and collided straight into a muscular body.

"Shit!" She muttered to herself. "Sorry." Haley groaned as she was starring at her feet. She was too embarrassed to look up. "This night can't get worse." She thought to herself.

"Sorry." A familiar voice said.

Haley suddenly looked up and her heart stopped in her chest. She was wrong. The night did just get worse.


	2. Those Eyes

**Thanks for all the follows! I didn't know if people would like this. If you haven't already, please check out my other fic "Give Your Heart a Break" I'm mostly going to concentrate on that, but I will definitely continue this because I have really great ideas. Anyway, last chapter mostly was Haley, but this chapter focuses on Nathan's past, also a little bit of Brooke and Lucas. The flashback is in italics, which there will be A LOT of. This story is kind of like two in one Naley when they were 18, and 'present day' Naley. Next chapter will mostly consist of Present day Naley, and when they meet again, but this chapter has a major flashback, which is pretty cute. Anyway, that's my rant. Please be patent for updates. It's finals for the next two weeks, but after that I will update a lot. Enjoy :)**

**Songs used- Summertime by New Kids on the Block**

**When the stars go blue- Tim McGraw**

* * *

Nathan Scott sat in his black Range Rover, as he let out a long, frustrated, groan. He was sitting in his car for the past three hours driving from his hometown Charlotte, to god forsaken Tree Hill. He chuckled lightly thinking about his cousin Lucas Scott. Lucas, as well as his current fiance, Brooke Davis, grew up in Tree Hill. Nathan was really close with his cousin, so he spent a lot of time with him, especially in the summer. When college came, Lucas and Brooke, who were high school sweet hearts, both went to college in New York City. Lucas went to NYU to become an author, and Brooke went to F.I.T for fashion design. They were both excited to move out of North Carolina, because they claimed to hate it. Five years later, they decided they had enough of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, and they recently purchased a house in Tree Hill. In one week, they were going to get married in a small white church in Tree Hill, which Brooke always wanted to get married in. Nathan rolled his eyes at the thought. Brooke was obsessed with weddings, and the past eight months, Lucas has been calling Nathan relieving his stress about it. Lucas didn't care where they got married, he just wanted to get married. He didn't waste any time, because four months after they graduated college, Lucas proposed. Nathan remembered receiving the call at one in the morning, and he was truly happy for them. Lucas and Brooke were perfect for each other, and they were so in love. They started dating in junior year of high school, and Nathan knew that Brooke was it for his cousin. Lucas would literally do anything for Brooke, including getting married in a small church in the middle of no where. When Nathan heard the news, he wasn't surprised, he knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Nathan tended to make fun of his cousin for being so in love, but deep down he was insanely jealous. Not because he was with Brooke, but because he wanted a love like theirs. Nathan gave up on love a long time ago. Growing up, he never understood the concept of love, and didn't believe in it. Why would someone want to be with someone their whole life? He liked his play boy ways, and he could get any girl he wanted. He went to a prestigious prep school in Charlotte, and he practically ruled the would flock to him, and kiss the ground he walked on. Guys wanted to be him, and girls wanted to be with him. He was a complete ass in high school, and used girls for pleasure. The summer before college, was when everything changed.

Nathan closed his eyes, trying to avoid where his mind was about to go, but he couldn't stop. He thought about her all the time. How could he forget? She still had his heart, even if she didn't want it. Haley James. That name echoed through his brain, and his heart ached in his chest, but the butterflies in his stomach started to flutter around. He often found himself dreaming about her, and wondering what she had been up to for the past five years. He had been close to calling her numerous times in college, but he would chicken out and slam his phone shut. He didn't want to get rejected again. He put his heart on the line, and he learned never to do it again. From then on, he went back to his 'man-whoring ways' as Lucas and Brooke called it. He didn't care what anyone thought, he didn't want to fall in love. He had strict rules. No girl was ever allowed to sleep with him more than once. He didn't get attached. Many girls tried to make him change, but he never did. He never had a girl friend in college. His friends, especially Lucas tried to change him, but he never agreed. Sure he went on dates every once and a while, but he usually found flaws in the girls, and he never agreed to a second date. So once he graduated college, he was drafted to the Charlotte Bobcats, where his reputation as a play boy, continued. All of the sleezy tabloids would report on his new girl every night. Nathan would take models, or actresses to events, sleep with them, and never call them back. When a reporter asked him why he never went steady with a woman, he just laughed and said 'I don't do relationships. Not my thing.' The reporter then asked if he ever was in love, and Nathan lied. 'No. I don't plan on falling in love either. I like the single life.'

Nathan did enjoy the single life, he often reaped the benefits of 'no strings attached' and he didn't have to deal with relationship crap. He could literally get any girl, and a new one every night. Most guys dreamed of this life. He was rich, hot, and famous. However, sometimes he would lay in bed, and wonder what it would be like to have someone to come home to. He would think of Haley, and smile. She was the only girl he could picture himself with. He didn't know what it was, but she made him fall in love. He would never, ever forget her. He was 18 and he completely fell for her. He didn't want to just sleep with her, he wanted her to be all his; he wanted to have a real relationship, especially with her. She was truly enticing, and he couldn't get enough of her. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and had such a big heart. She was also hot as hell. Nathan smirked as he thought of her long, wavy blonde hair, and big beautiful eyes. His smirk turned into a smile, when he remembered her smile, he would close his eyes sometimes and all he saw was her beautiful face.

Nathan stirred from his thoughts, as the rain started to fall from the sky. He was already in traffic, and the rain would make it worse. Nathan always hated the rain, well not always- but right now he hated it. There was only a few times he liked the rain, then he went back to hating it; especially on the last day he saw Haley. As if Nathan didn't need one more reminder of Haley, a familiar song came on the radio, and he felt his heart stop in his chest.

_Do you remember or should I rewind?_

_To that summer when you caught my eye_

_I played it cool, the weather was hot_

_You had the beauty and the beach on lock_  
_With your flip flops, half shirt, short shorts, mini skirt_

_Walkin' on the beach so pretty_

_You wasn't lookin' for a man when you saw me in the sand_

_But you fell for the boy from the city_  
_I was like, "Hey girl, can I get your number?_

_"I remember what you told me too"Don't call after ten," but you know that I did_

_'Cause I couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout you_  
_I think about you in the summertime_

_And all the good times we had babyBeen a few years and I can't deny_

_The thought of you still makes me crazy_  
_I think about you in the summertime_

_I'm sittin' here in the sun with you on my mind_

_My summertime_  
_Do you remember? I'll never forgetTouchin' your body all soakin' wet_

_The water was cool, the feelin' was hot_

_Kissin' on you while the ocean rocked_  
_In your strapless sundress, kickin' back no stress_

_As long as we was together_

_'Cause we were feelin' young love and we couldn't get enough_

_Baby, I could reminisce forever_  
_And now I'm like, hey, girl don't you know I miss it?_

_And I wonder if you miss it tooNever thought it would end 'til it did_

_Now I'm here and I can't stop thinkin' 'bout you_  
_I think about you in the summertimeAnd all the good times we had baby_

_Been a few years and I can't denyThe thought of you still makes me crazy_  
_I think about you in the summertime_

_I'm sittin' here in the sun with you on my mind_

_My summertime_  
_Summer ended, winter started_

_It got colder when we parted ways_

_As the seasons change_  
_Winter melted, spring, I felt it_

_Summertime will never be the same without you_

_My summertime_  
_I think about you in the summertime_

_And all the good times we had babyIt's been a few years and I can't deny_

_The thought of you still makes me crazy_

Nathan rolled his eyes. "This music is shit!" He muttered out loud to himself, and instantly changed the station.

A new song, with a familiar beat, started to blast through his speakers, and he tapped his finger against the steering wheel, in tune with the beat.

_Dancin' where the stars go blue  
Dancin' where the evening fell  
Dancin' in my wooden shoes  
In a wedding gown_

Dancin' out on 7th street  
Dancin' through the underground  
Dancin' little marionette  
Are you happy now?

Where do you go when you're lonely  
Where do you go when you're blue  
Where do you go when you're lonely  
I'll follow you  
When the stars go blue  
When the stars go blue

__

Laughing with your pretty mouth  
Laughing with your broken eyes  
Laughing with your lover's tongue  
In a lullaby

[x2]  
Where do you go when you're lonely  
Where do you go when you're blue  
Where do you go when you're lonely  
I'll follow you  
When the stars go blue  
The stars go blue, stars go blue

Follow you  
Follow you

When the stars go blue  
When the stars go blue  
When the stars go blue  
When the stars go blue

Where do you go when you're lonely?  
Where do you go when the stars go blue?

It was during the chorus when Nathan suddenly remembered the song. His stomach twisted in a tight knot, and he swallowed hard. He tried to think of anything but the flashback he was about to have, but he couldn't help it. The song that was playing had such a deep memory, it would be impossible to forget.

_Haley, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake, were all seated around a campfire on the beach. The stars were shining in the deep blue sky, as the waves crashed in the near distance. Haley had on a white tank top, with a long, flowy, blue skirt, and her long honey blonde hair was blowing in the slight breeze. Nathan made his way over to her smiling, as he carried his grey sweatshirt. Haley was seated on a bench, shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself._

_Nathan walked straight over to her and handed her his sweatshirt. "Here babe."_

_Haley smiled as she looked up with her deep brown eyes into Nathan's clear blue orbs. "Don't you need it?"_

_"Nah, I'll just use you to keep me warm." Nathan smirked._

_Haley giggled, and grabbed Nathan's sweatshirt as she slid it over her head. It was grey and had the Bobcat logo on it, and it was too big for her, but she wore it anyway. It smelled like Nathan, and she loved it. _

_"Why is there a Bobcat on it?" Haley asked as she was looking down at the logo._

_Nathan chuckled, and couldn't help but think how adorable she was. "It's the Charlotte Bobcats. They're an NBA team. I'm going to play for them one day." Nathan smirked._

_Haley giggled girlishly. "Cocky much?"_

_"I'm serious." Nathan said as he sat down and pulled Haley onto his lap, as she squealed loudly._

_"Okay, well I'll be watching when you play for them." Haley replied with a giant smile._

_"Good, I'll be counting on that." Nathan said as he snuck in a small kiss on her lips._

_Haley giggled, and kissed him back._

_Jake Jagelski watched the couple and laughed. They were in their own little world, while the others were talking about childhood memories. _

_Brooke stood up and clapped her hand. 'Haley!" She shouted._

_Haley didn't hear Brooke, and continued to kiss Nathan._

_Brooke walked over and literally had to pull Haley off of Nathan._

_"I'd hate to break up this Naley cuteness, but I have a request." Brooke chimed in._

_Nathan and Haley looked at each other and laughed, as Haley's face turned pink. _

_"Uh Brooke, what's a Naley?" Nathan asked._

_Brooke laughed. "You and Haley's couple name. Duh. Mine and Luke's is Brucas, and then Peyton and Jake are 'Jeyton.' I'm not going to lie, I think Naley is the cutest." She rambled._

_Haley giggled. "You're right. It is pretty cute."Haley said, and put her hand on Nathan's cheek as she kissed him again._

_"Eugh! Enough!" Brooke screeched. "Haley!" She shouted again._

_"Sorry, what?" Haley asked shyly._

_"Can you sing now? Jake brought his guitar."_

_Haley bit her lip. "No thanks."_

_"Hales! C'mon! Please! You're an amazing singer!" Brooke begged._

_Nathan looked at Haley. "You sing?"_

_"No!" Haley said quickly._

_Brooke smiled slyly. "She does, she's just embarrassed."_

_"Don't be embarrassed, baby. I wanna hear. I'm sure you're amazing." Nathan said to Haley, sweetly._

_Haley blushed, "I'm really not though."_

_"She is, she's just humble. Come on!" Brooke continued to plead._

_Haley starred into Nathan's eyes, as he also silently begged her._

_"Okay fine, but this is the most amount of people I've ever sang in front of. I'm a little nervous." She explained._

_"Hales, we 're all friends here. Don't worry." Lucas smiled. All of them grew up together in Tree Hill, except for Nathan and they've pretty much been friends since elementary school._

_Haley gulped, but smiled shyly as she grabbed the acoustic guitar from Jake, and sat back down next to Nathan, who was smiling graciously. _

_She took a deep breath, and strummed the into to "When the Stars go Blue" by Tim McGraw._

_The minute she started singing, Nathan felt his breath hitch, and he was falling deeper for her. Haley had the voice of an angel, and he never wanted her to stop singing. Nathan was truly mesmerized by her. She sang the song from the bottom of her heart, and sang the lyrics softly, but it was so powerful. Nathan couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and he was captured by her strong voice._

_The song finally ended, and everyone clapped loudly. Haley's cheeks flushed, and Nathan couldn't even find his voice. He was still in a trance._

_He stood up, and pulled Haley with him, as he kissed her deeply._

_Brooke whistled loudly, and Haley pulled away as her face became a deeper shade of red. _

_"That was..." Nathan whispered, "Amazing." He finished, as he kissed her again._

_Haley smiled at the ground. "You think so?" She asked shyly._

_"Yes. That was just- wow. You're amazing Hales. You're so talented." Nathan gushed._

_Haley bit her lip, "Thank you."_

_The rest of the group also showered Haley with compliments, but soon headed inside their cabins for the night._

_Nathan and Haley were the only ones left outside, as they were roasting marshmallows by the fire._

_"This is nice." Haley stated, interrupting the peaceful quietness._

_"Yeah it is." Nathan agreed, while eating a marshmallow, and scooting closer to Haley._

_Haley smiled, and snuggled into Nathan. "This is the best summer ever."_

_Nathan smirked. "Definitely."_

_A few minutes later, Nathan got up and grabbed Haley's hand._

_"Where are we going?" She asked._

_"You'll see." _

_Haley put her hand into Nathan's bigger one, and he locked their fingers together. She smiled at how perfectly they fit together._

_Nathan and Haley walked down to the ocean, and they walked along the edge._

_Haley screamed when the crisp, cool water ran over her feet._

_Nathan chuckled, and Haley playfully punched his arm. _

_"It's water Hales, it's not going to kill you."_  
_Haley giggled. "It scared me! I wasn't expecting that!" She defended._

_Nathan just continued to laugh. "You're seriously adorable."_

_"I try, I try." Haley said sarcastically._

_Nathan gently squeezed Haley's hand, and looked at her and smiled._

_Haley felt Nathan's intense gaze, and blushed as she stared into his blue eyes._

_Nathan suddenly dragged Haley deeper into the water, and she squealed._

_"Nathan! It's cold!"_

_"C'mon! Live a little!"_

_Haley bit her lip, and Nathan splashed water at her._

_Haley giggled, as Nathan picked her up bridal style and spun her around. He was knee deep in the ocean, and he peppered kisses on Haley's face._

_Suddenly, a giant wave came splashing over Nathan as he was swept off his feet, and pulled under. He held onto Haley, and quickly resurfaced, gasping for air. Haley was still in Nathan's arms and they were both soaking wet._

_"Nathan! I almost died!" Haley choked._

_Nathan smiled. "You did not! I saved you." He winked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, and threw her arms around Nathan's neck as he walked back to shore. ",My hero!" She screamed dramatically._

_Nathan chuckled, "Well just to be sure, I think I should give you mouth to mouth." He smirked._

_Haley giggled. "Good idea." Before she knew it, Nathan tackled her on the sand, and pressed his lips against hers. Haley smiled against his lips, and he softly bit her lower lip, and ran his tongue along it, elicting a soft moan from Haley._

_Haley shoved her tongue in Nathan's mouth, and ran her hands up and down his muscular back._

_Nathan was on top of Haley as they made out, but Haley suddenly rolled them over so that she was straddling Nathan. He laughed, and rolled them over one more time._

_"Nathan!" Haley gasped when she pulled away from the kiss. "I'm all sandy now!"_

_Nathan smirked. "You can shower later."_

_Haley smiled. "Okay." She shrugged and leaned back into Nathan's kiss. _

_After about a 15 minute make out session, Haley finally rolled onto her back, breathless._

_"That was amazing." She gushed._

_Nathan chuckled. "Who knew kissing could be so much fun?" He joked._

_Haley snuggled into Nathan's side, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her._

_"Look how beautiful these stars are." Haley said pointing up into the night sky._

_"Yeah it's nice. But you're beautiful-er." Nathan smirked._

_"That's not even a word!" Haley giggled._

_"It is now."_

_Haley just smiled and placed a soft kiss on Nathan's lips. "You're amazing." She whispered._

_"I know." He grinned._

_Haley lightly hit his chest. "And cocky."_

_Nathan laughed loudly._

_For the next ten minutes, they lay in a comfortable silence, as they stole small kisses every once in a while._

_Nathan pointed up at the sky, "Look, it's a shooting star!" _

_Haley smiled, it wasn't actually a shooting star, but she wasn't about to tell him that._

_"Make a wish." She whispered._

_"I wish that we can be together forever." Nathan admitted._

_Haley's heart fluttered in her chest. "Me too."_

_"How many kids do you want?" Nathan suddenly asked._

_Haley chuckled, and lifted her head off of Nathan's chest to look at him. "What?"_

_"How many kids do you want to have?"_

_Haley shrugged, "I don't know. I'm only 18, I never thought about it."_

_"I want five." Nathan admitted._

_Haley laughed. "Five!"_

_"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"_

_"That's a lot of freaking kids!"_

_Nathan laughed. "I want a big family."_

_"I thought you didn't want to get married." Haley said._

_"I changed my mind."_

_"When did you decide you want five kids?'"Haley laughed._

_"Right now."_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Yeah. I want four boys, and one girl. The girl will be the youngest, and her brothers can protect her, and I'll also spoil the hell outta her."_

_Haley giggled. "That sounds nice."_

_"Yeah we can name her Lydia for your mom."_

_"We?" Haley asked as her eyebrows shot up._

_"Yeah, I wouldn't want anyone else to have my kids. Only you." Nathan smiled._

_Haley's heart fluttered at the thought. She only knew Nathan for about a month and a half, plus they were only 18, and most people didn't talk about their future until a lot later, but she had to admit, she really liked the idea._

_"What about the boys names?" She asked._

_"James, like your last name." Nathan said._

_Haley smiled. "James Scott, I like that."_

_"So the other three-"_

_"Oh no, I'm not having five kids!" Haley said._

_"Why not?"_

_"Giving birth hurts!"_

_"How would you know?" Nathan joked._

_"I've seen my sister give birth. It didn't look fun."_

_"Okay so how many children do you want?"_

_"Maybe three."_

_"I guess three could work." Nathan contemplated._

_Haley giggled. "His name could be Nathan!"_

_"Absolutely not!" Nathan said._

_"Why not?"_

_"I hate my name."_

_"Okay how about Jordan?" Haley asked._

_"Jordan Scott. I love it." Nathan said kissing Haley's hair._

_The rest of the night, the two continued to talk about their future together. They decided they would want to live in Charlotte, so that Nathan could play for the Bobcats, and Haley would be a teacher, and they'd live in a house with a white picket fence. Haley wished it would come true, but she knew the chances were slim. It was still fun to dream though, and so they did. _

Nathan smiled at the memory. It was one of his favorite nights during that summer. He was snapped out of his trance when he heard a loud truck beep at him, to drive. Nathan didn't realize that the traffic had cleared, and that he was allowed to advance. For the next twenty minutes he continued to follow the directions on his GPS and he finally pulled up to Lucas and Brooke's new house.

He climbed out of his truck, and walked to the trunk to grab his bags. He pulled the strap over his shoulder and looked back at Lucas' was white, and had red shutters, with a porch. It was a fairly large house compared to the others on the block. Nathan smiled and walked to the red front door, and knocked three times. Lucas was in the kitchen with Brooke when he heard a knock on the door, and he wiped his hands on his jeans before going to open the door.

Lucas's face broke out into a large smile. "Nathan, man good to see you. C'mon in. How are you?"

Nathan smiled and pulled his cousin in for a "bro-hug' and slapped his back. "I'm pretty good. How are you?"

"I'm great. I can't wait for the wedding."

Nathan chuckled. "I'm sure you are. Nice place you got here." Nathan said as he was looking around the light green living room, which smelt of fresh paint.

"Thanks, Brooke did everything."

"Yeah I figured." Nathan joked, as he followed Lucas into the large kitchen.

"Nathan!" Brooke squealed and ran into him for a hug.

"Hey Brooke." Nathan chuckled as he hugged her back. "How are you?" He asked.

"Ohh I'm great!" She said excitedly. "I'm so excited to marry Luke." She said as she looked over at Lucas and kissed his cheek.

Nathan smiled at the sight. He was really happy for them. "I can't believe it's a week away."

Brooke smiled, revealing her dimples. "I know! I can't wait any longer. I just want to me Mrs. Scott already!" She gushed.

Lucas laughed. "I can't wait either."

"So Nate, are you going to bring a date to the wedding?" Brooke asked.

Nathan shrugged. "Nah, but maybe I'll bring a bridesmaid back to my hotel room." He smirked.

Brooke gulped. She failed to mention that Haley was going to be her maid of honor. She would tell him when the time was right, which really wasn't now.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Don't you get tired of that life style?"

"Nah, I'd rather not be tied down for the rest of my life."

Brooke pouted.

"No offense though." Nathan joked.

Lucas chuckled. "I bet one day some woman will come along and sweep you off your feet."

"I doubt that." Nathan said.

Brooke grinned at Lucas, who was thinking the same exact thing as him.

"So I decided to get a hotel room. I'd rather not hear you guys have pre-wedding sex the entire night." Nathan joked.

Lucas blushed, but Brooke laughed loudly. "Yeah that was probably a good idea."

"Okay, well I'm actually pretty tired, so I'm going to head to the hotel. I'll see you tomorrow though. Considering I'm the best man, I need to set up your Bachelor Party." Nathan said to Lucas.

Lucas nodded. "Okay, have a goodnight man."

"You too." Nathan said his goodbyes to Brooke and Lucas, and headed back to his car. While driving to the hotel, he decided to stop at the local market to pick up food and drinks for his room. As he parked his car, and headed inside, a streak of lightning shot through the sky, and the rain was falling from the grey clouds. He ran inside and found the refrigeration section, and he picked a case of beer, and frozen pizzas. He dropped the contents in a basket, and made his way to the produce section. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, when suddenly he felt a small body crash into his.

He inwardly chuckled as he head a voice mutter "Shit, sorry."

Nathan said 'sorry' about a millisecond after the woman said it, and she kept her head down.

There was something familiar about her voice, but he couldn't quite place it.

She quickly looked up, and Nathan saw in the corner of his eye that she was starring at him. He didn't want to stare at her because that would be rude. He swore he knew her from somewhere, but didn't look. After a few seconds, he let curiosity get the best of him, and looked up. His heart stopped, and his breath hitched. He literally felt like he got punched in the stomach and all of the air was knocked out of him.

He looked into her deep brown eyes. Those eyes that haunted his dreams every single night.

Those eyes that belonged to none other than Haley James.

* * *

**Review please :)**

**Thanks so much for the support. **


	3. Not So Forever and Always

**Sorry for the long wait. Only two more finals to go. I sort of have writers block because I had to write two essays today! Ew. I'd much rather write this! Anyway, here's the newest update. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and I apologize that flashbacks will be completely random, and not in order, I mean I'll try but it will get confusing. So if you have any questions- just ask :) Thanks for reading! **

**credit: Creators of Oe Tree Hill, and song is my girl Taylor Swift! **

* * *

FOREVER & ALWAYS

_Once upon a time, I believe it was a Tuesday when I caught your eye_  
_And we caught onto something_  
_I hold onto the night, you looked me in the eye and told me you loved me_

_Were you just kidding?_  
_'cause it seems to me, this thing is breaking down_  
_We almost never speak_  
_I don't feel welcome anymore_  
_Baby what happened, please tell me?_

_'cause one second it was perfect, now you're halfway out the door_

_And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called_  
_And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all_  
_And you flashback to when he said forever and always_  
_Oh, and it rains in your bedroom_  
_Everything is wrong_  
_It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone_  
_Cause I was there when you said forever and always_

_Was I out of line?_  
_Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide_  
_Like a scared little boy_  
_I looked into your eyes_  
_Thought I knew you for a minute, now I'm not so sure_

_So here's everything coming down to nothing_  
_Here's to silence that cuts me to the core_  
_Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore_

_And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called_  
_And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all_  
_And you flashback to when he said forever and always_  
_Oh, and it rains in your bedroom_  
_Everything is wrong_  
_It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone_  
_'cause I was there when you said forever and always_  
_You didn't mean it baby, I don't think so_

_Back up, baby, back up_  
_Did you forget everything_  
_Back up, baby, back up_  
_Did you forget everything_

_'cause it rains in your bedroom_  
_Everything is wrong_  
_It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone_  
_'cause I was there when you said forever and always_

_Oh, I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called_  
_And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all_  
_And you flashback to when we said forever and always_

_And it rains in your bedroom_  
_Everything is wrong_  
_It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone_  
_'cause I was there when you said forever and always_  
_You didn't mean it baby, you said forever and always... yeah_

Haley's eyes widened when she instantly looked into those familiar crystal blue ones. Her heart stopped, and she instantly bit down hard on her lip.

_It can't be him_. She thought._ But it is. _

__She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. He was like a magnet, and she couldn't help but be drawn to him. She hasn't seen those eyes in five years. Her body was millimeters away, but neither of them could bring themselves to speak.

Nathan's mouth went dry, as soon as he looked into those big brown eyes that were burned into his memory.

_There's no way it could be her. I'm going crazy. It's just some weird coincidence. Someone who happens to have the same eyes as her. It's not her._

Nathan had to inwardly chant to himself that it wasn't Haley, but he just some how knew that it was her. He could never forget those eyes, and the adoration that filled them. Now those eyes were a cold, shocking stare, but yet, they were still mesmerizing, and they still belonged to Haley.

As Nathan was still starring into Haley's eyes, his mind suddenly flash backed to the first time he looked into those eyes; he could never forget it.

_Nathan sat in the passenger seat of Lucas's 78' Ford Red Pick Up Truck, with a glum look on his face, as he rested his right arm against the open window._

_"Lighten up man, this is going to be a summer to remember. I can promise you that." Lucas said as he looked at his bored cousin._

_Nathan rolled his eyes, and scoffed as he starred straight ahead at the farms they were passing. _

_"Bull shit. This is going to freaking suck! It's my last summer before college, and I'm spending it in the middle of freaking no where!" Nathan grunted angrily._

_Lucas chuckled. "C'mon man, you used to love coming here with us as a kid."_

_"Yeah we haven't gone since we were 10. That was eight years ago, this is going to suck. I could've gone to like Miami or something." Nathan protested._

_"Hey! You said you wanted to spend the summer with me!" Lucas declared._

_"Yeah, you said we were going on a vacation. I didn't think you meant Holden Beach."_

_"Dude it's a lot of fun."_

_"Are you kidding me? It's filled with snotty five years old kids, and whiny 90 year olds. There aren't even hot chicks!"_

_"So? Don't you want to spend some time with your family?" Lucas playfully nudged Nathan._

_"It's the whole freaking summer. This sucks! What a waste."_

_"It's two months, you'll have fun, I promise."_

_"Yeah two months I'll never get back."Nathan mumbled._

_"If you're really miserable, you can leave. Just give it a week. Please?"_

_"Fine, whatever." Nathan continued to mumble. _

_Lucas laughed, "What's your problem?"_

_"My problem? I'm going to be watching you and Brooke suck each others face off the entire summer! Are there even clubs we can go to? I deserve at least one hook up with a beach babe." Nathan smirked._

_Lucas rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous. And just so you know, some of me and Brooke's friends are actually coming, so you won't be alone."_

_"Sweet. Any hot chicks?" _

_Lucas almost gagged. "Ew no way."_

_"Seriously? Not even one?"_

_"Well one of them is kind of with someone, and the other..." Lucas laughed._

_"What? What's so funny?"_

_"Nothing." Lucas said continuing to laugh._

_"What?" Nathan asked angrily._

_"The girl... she's so out of your league."_

_"What the hell does that mean?"_

_"Trust me, man. Don't even waste your time."_

_"Why not? Is she hot?"_

_Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm not answering that. She's like my sister. And second of all, not everything is about being hot."_

_"It is to me." Nathan smirked._

_"Seriously though, I wouldn't try anything."_

_Nathan snickered. "Do you know who you're talking to? I can get any girl I want."_

_"Right." Lucas drawled out._

_"I can. Wanna bet?" _

_"No, we're not betting if you can get my best friend. Besides, you wouldn't even win."_

_Nathan laughed while shaking his head, "Some one's afraid to lose?"_

_"Not at all. I'm just saving you the time and heart break."_

_"What is she? A lesbian?"_

_Lucas chuckled, "No."_

_"Then what's the problem? She's probably ugly right?"_

_"Not that either. You see my dear cousin, she actually has a brain, so she wouldn't be dumb enough to fall for you."_

_"Really. Just wait man, just wait."_

_"She's not even your type."_

_"I don't have a type." Nathan argued._

_"Yeah you go after sluts. First of all Haley isn't a slut, and second of all, she doesn't do random hook ups."_

_"So her name's Haley? That's a pretty name." Nathan smirked._

_Lucas rolled his eyes, "Keep your pants on Nate."_

_Nathan chuckled, "How much time 'till we get there?"_

_"Actually any minute now."_

_"So what are the room arrangements?" Nathan asked while texting one of his friends._

_"Guys are in one cabin, girls in the other."_

_"Are you kidding me? That's so lame!"_

_"Yeah, well Haley's family is going to be there."_

_"Wow. I hate her now."_

_Lucas chuckled, "Yeah, that's what I thought."_

_"This sucks!" Nathan groaned._

_After about another five minutes, Lucas drove under a small tunnel leading them to a sign that read: 'Holden Beach- A Camping Experience on the Beach'" Nathan rolled his eyes._

_'This is going to be fun.' He thought sarcastically. _

_Lucas pulled up to a small blue cabin, located right on the beach. Ont the other side of the sandy road, was a larger cabin, that had stairs leading up to the entrance. Two petite girls, one brunette, and one honey blonde were unloading a black truck right in front of the larger cabin. _

_Nathan smirked as he got out of the truck, appreciating the view of the blonde's backside._

_"Yo, Nathan, Can you help me unload this?" Lucas called._

_Nathan quickly snapped out of his trance, and ran to help Lucas who was currently unloading the bags from the trunk._

_"Broody!" Nathan heard Brooke scream, and Lucas dropped the bags, holding his arms open for Brooke to run into._

_"I missed you pretty girl!" Lucas said as he placed a long sweet kiss on Brooke's lips._

_"Ugh, get a room!" Nathan moaned._

_Haley walked over, chuckling at the couple._

_"Didn't you guys see each other this morning?" She joked._

_When Nathan heard a sweet, female voice, his head instantly turned to the right to find a short, honey blonde girl, wearing short navy shorts, and a simple pink tank top. He was practically drooling at the sight._

_In the corner of her eye, Haley noticed a tall, highly attractive guy, starring at her. Her gaze lifted to his intense blue eyes, and she instantly felt her cheeks warm. _

_Nathan suddenly felt his mouth go dry, when the blonde caught his gaze. He couldn't even blink. Her deep brown eyes, were so big and welcoming. He practically felt himself drowning in them. He knew once he looked into her eyes, he was a complete goner._

_"Hi, I'm Haley." Haley said sweetly as she smiled a brilliant smile, while Nathan just lost his ability to form a complete thought._

_"H-Hi, I'm uh, Nathan. Nathan Scott."_

"Nathan Scott?" Haley found herself finally speaking up, after a minute of awkward silence.

Nathan felt his heart drop into his stomach when he heard the beautiful voice, he hasn't heard in five years. It was like music to his ears.

He literally lost all memory of how to speak English, just like the first time he saw her. He couldn't think straight, and he had no idea what to say.

_"What the hell do you say to someone you're still in love with after not seeing them for five years?_" Nathan thought.

The only thing he could think of was to be his usual charming self around women, it was bound to work.

"Want an autograph?" Nathan smirked.

Haley's smile instantly fell, and she laughed sardonically to herself. She shook her head, and was about to walk away.

_"Of course he doesn't remember me. Unbelievable He actually did become an egotistical asshole!"_ She thought angrily.

Nathan instantly chastised himself for being an idiot.

Haley was about to turn away, when suddenly she felt Nathan's strong grip grasp her arm.

Instantly, they both felt the strong sparks that were still there, and Haley's cheeks reddened.

Nathan was stunned at how strong the sparks felt.

"Hales, wait." He called, as she spun around.

Haley instantly moved from Nathan's grasp, and her eyes brows shot up.

"My name is Haley. You lost the right to call me that a long time ago." She scoffed.

Nathan was slightly taken back by her tone. If he remembered correctly, she was the one who told him to leave. So why was she mad?  
"I-I'm sorry." Nathan started, "You look great, Haley." He said, and truthfully meant it. He briefly checked her out. Her hair was darker now, still curly, and had blond highlights, but for the most part her hair was now brunette. She got more mature looking, and if possible, even more beautiful.

Haley bit her lip to keep herself from blushing. She had to remind herself that she could not go there again. Yet, she still couldn't keep herself from checking him out either.

He got a lot more muscular, he had a sexy five o'clock shadow, and he developed a small freckle under his left eye. He got a lot more attractive than the last time she saw him, and she didn't even think that was humanly possible. She would have to be blind not to see how good looking he was.

"Thanks, you too." She said shyly.

Nathan was still looking at her intently, and she couldn't help the small blush that crept up her neck. She hated the butterflies she was feeling in her stomach, but his presence helped stir them up.

"How are you?" Nathan asked.

Haley tried everything not to stare into his eyes, because she knew if she looked at him she would fall for him all over again. "I'm fine. You?" She asked curtly.

Nathan quickly glanced at her ring finger and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed it was empty.

_She probably has a boyfriend.. whatever._

"I'm okay." Nathan shrugged.

Haley gave him a small smile. "That's great."

The two of them stood in an awkward silence, for a few seconds until Nathan decided to break the ice.

"I've been thinking about you." Nathan declared.

Haley sighed. "That's great Nathan, but don't you think you're five years a little too late?"

Nathan blew out a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. "Haley, why are you acting like this?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I supposed to just run into your arms and kiss you, like everything's okay?" Haley practically screamed, with tears prickling behind her eyes.

Nathan's eyebrows shot up, and he couldn't help but feel like his heart was breaking. "Yes-No- I don't know-"

"Five years Nathan! Five years! Everything has changed, so I don't know what you expected!" Haley cried.

Nathan furrowed his brow, "Haley-"

"No, Nathan! Save it!" Haley said as she stormed out of the storm, without buying anything.

As soon as she ran to her car, she got in and sank in her seat as she choked out a loud sob. When she pictured her 'reunion' with Nathan, she sure as hell didn't picture it like that. She wanted to run in his arms and never let go of him, but she couldn't. She was a different person now and so was he. Yeah she thought about him a lot, but she knew she had to get over him because she was only in love with the 18 year old Nathan, who didn't exist anymore. She knew she really didn't have a reason to be mad at him but she couldn't help it. He told her he loved her, and ran off. She wanted him to come back, or at least call. After five years he never even called, and that's what hurt the most. It's like she was just a game. She felt used. She did love Nathan, she was just afraid as to what would happen. They were going their separate ways, to different colleges and she knew they wouldn't last. She only realized she loved Nathan when he was gone, but it was too late. She wanted to call him, but again, she was scared. She thought he would be mad at her.

In Nathan's mind, he wasn't mad at Haley, he was just torn up about it. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to push her to making her say 'I love you', but he didn't want to let her go. He loved her, and it was okay if she didn't love him, he was just confused as hell as why she told him to leave. It was all just one big mess.

Haley broke out into a fit of sobs, thinking about her recent encounter. Nathan was being sweet, and she didn't know if it was all an act or not. She heard about all his stories about him and his play boy reputation. The worst was when she watched an interview about how he was never in love, and never plans on falling in love either. She remembered sitting on her couch after work, flipping through the channels and saw his face. Her heart stopped, and when she head what he had to say, she continued to cry.

Nathan quickly ran to pay for his items, and went out into the parking lot to try and find Haley. He had no idea what car she drove, so after about five minutes of searching he decided to go to the hotel, and drown his sorrows with a case of beer.

Haley on the other hand, quickly dried her tears and sped off to Brooke and Lucas' house. It took about 5 minutes, and she didn't even care what time it was or what they were doing but she knocked furiously on their front door.

Brooke and Lucas were in the living room watching TV when they heard a loud knock.

"Do you think it's Nathan?" Lucas asked Brooke as she was getting up.

"I don't know, I'll be right back." She said as she kissed his cheek.

Haley bit her lip to keep her tears at bay, when Brooke swung the door open and smiled. "Hey best friend. Oh my god! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Brooke shrieked.

Haley laughed through her tears. 'Can I come in?"

"Of course!" Brooke said as she led Haley into the kitchen. "Do you want some tea?"

"Uh, no thanks, I just really need to talk."

Brooke sat directly across from Haley at the kitchen table. 'Are you hurt?"

Haley smiled, "No, not exactly."

"Then what's up?" She asked as her green eyes bore into Haley's teary brown ones.

"I saw him." She sobbed.

Brooke furrowed her brows. "Who?"

Haley wiped her tears under her eyes. "Na-Nathan!" She cried.

"Nathan Scott? Your Nathan?" Brooke asked dumbfounded.

Haley rolled her eyes. "What other Nathan is there?" She cried.

"Right sorry. Where did you see him? What the hell happened?"

Haley took a deep breath. "I ran into him in the grocery store! Of all places a grocery store! How crazy is that? I was so shocked. I didn't even know it was him at first, I mean, wow, he hot hot! I mean he was always hot, but I haven't seen him in person, and I was shocked. I don't even know why he was here-" Haley rambled and Brooke placed her hand over Haley's.

'Hales! You're rambling!"

"Sorry!" She said shyly.

"Look, I need to tell you something and you need to promise not to freak out."

Haley nodded. "Promise."

"WellNathanIsGoingToBeLukesBestMan" Brooke spat out quickly.

Haley laughed, 'Brooke, I have no idea what you just said."

Brooke took another deep breath, "Nathan's in town for the wedding. He's Luke's best man."

Haley's eyes widened like saucers, and she jumped up fro the table slapping her hands on it. "WHAT!?"

"I'm so sorry. I knew I should have told you- I was just waiting for the right time..."

Haley started to pace the floors rapidly. "Oh my god Brooke! I can't believe this!"

I'm sorry!"

Haley groaned "Ugh! I totally forgot he would be invited!"

Brooke pursed her lips together, "Hales I'm sorry."

Haley inhaled sharply, "God! What the hell do I do? It's so hard to see him!"

"What exactly happened?" Brooke asked as she watched Haley continue to pace the floor.

"I just ran into him and hello! Look who it is? Nathan FREAKING Scott!" She screamed. "The guy who told me he loved me, and then ran away! I mean yeah I told him to leave, but if he came back then I would have told him that I loved him too..." Haley said as her voice cracked. 'Brooke! I'm going crazy! This was five years ago, and I don't think I'm over him yet."

Broke stood up, and walked to Haley as she threw her arms around her. 'It's okay Hales."

"No it's not! I'm in love with someone who doesn't exist anymore!"

Brooke pulled away and looked into Haley's eyes. "Well this is just a crazy idea, but maybe, just maybe, you and Nathan can work everything out-"

"Absolutely not!" Haley shrieked.

"Why not?" Brooke asked frowning.

"Because! Nathan is a different person! I am a different person! We aren't 18 anymore. We're adults. He's an ass-"

"Hales, you know him better than anyone! Do you actually believe those sleezy magazines?"

"That's the thing Brooke. I was with him for two months! I don't know him. Maybe I don't love him- I think I was just naive, and stupid, and crazy. Let's be realistic. It was a summer romance! Nothing ever comes out of that!" Haley cried.

"Hales, you know that isn't true. Nathan loved you- he still does- and I'm pretty sure you do too. Don't fight it. Here is your opportunity to fix this!" Brooke advised.

Haley rubbed her temples, "I'm just so confused right now Brooke." She sighed,

"Well if you want to know my real opinion, I really think this is your chance to work everything out."

"It's never going to happen. He's some hot shot in the NBA who gets a new girl every night, I need to focus on my career-"

"Hales- you just told me the other night you were ready to go out again."

"Yeah well not with Nathan."

"Why not? I mean you fell for him once-"

Haley groaned. "Yeah and that was a mistake. I don't need to have another broken heart."

Brooke smiled sadly. "What about taking risks?"

Haley bit her lip, "He promised." She started to cry again, "He promised me Always and Forever. I should've known that was a lie-" Haley whispered as she broke down and fell into Brooke's arms choking out a loud sob.

...

Nathan walked into his hotel room and slammed the door. He was feeling an array of emotions such as anger, sorrow, regret, and a weird feeling in his stomach that he hasn't felt in five years.

He grabbed a can of beer, and sank on his bed as he took a long swig. After two and a half beers, Nathan felt his phone buzzing in his back pocket.

"What?" He answered angrily.

"Whoa, is that any way to be speaking to your Favorite Cousin who picked you to be his best man?" Lucas joked. "I can easily replace you."

"Whatever." Nathan deadpanned.

"Dude, what's up your ass?" Lucas asked.

Nathan sighed. "Nothing,, never mind. What's up?"

Lucas snickered. "It has to do with Haley doesn't it?"

Nathan's eyes widened. "Huh? What? How'd you know?"

Lucas laughed into the phone. "She came here crying. Figured it had something to do with you."

Nathan swallowed hard, and grabbed his face with his hand. 'Shit! She's crying?"

"Yeah. What'd you do now?"

Nathan scoffed. "I didn't do anything! I told her I was thinking about her and she freaked out! Shouldn't I be the one pissed at her? She rejected me, and yet I still want her!" Nathan shouted.

Lucas smiled. "I know man, you better fight like hell for her."

"Why so I can be rejected again?" Nathan scoffed.

"No because a girl like her isn't going to wait for you forever. Any guy would be lucky to have her, and it's pretty obvious she still has a thing for you, so DON'T screw it up."

Nathan sighed. "I know. Thanks man."

"Talk to you later."

"Bye." Nathan hung up, and threw his phone across the room, as he collapsed against his pillow and groaned loudly.

He was determined to get Haley to fall for him again.

* * *

**Reviews are Appreciated xox**


	4. Back To Me Without You

**I apologize x1000! My tests ended on Wednesday, and I really wanted to update, but I honestly haven't had time, because so much as been going on. I've basically only been home to eat and sleep, and then I've been going out with friends. So in other words, I pretty much wrote this while I was waiting in the nail salon, and at my Grandma's house. That's why this chapter isn't my best, because it's very choppy, and I didn't have time to proof read since I was in a rush to update. Sorry for the long wait, I really hope it's worth it! Enjoy xox**

* * *

_Haley stepped out of Brooke's Convertible, with a huge smile on her face. She really missed this place. She's been coming to Holden Beach every summer since she was thirteen. It was easiest her favorite part of the summer time. Her family rented the same cabin every year, and it was her tradition to go with her best friend Brooke Davis. This year, she decided to invite Brooke's boyfriend Lucas Scott, and their other friends Peyton and Jake. Apparently, Lucas wanted to bring his cousin Nathan, who Haley had never met, but she agreed to it. _

_"So, Hales, are you excited to meet Luke's cousin? He's hot!" Brooke gushed, as she climbed down the stairs of the beach house._

_Haley rolled her eyes, "Brooke, I'm not looking to start a relationship. I'm going to Stanford in two months." She explained as she handed her luggage to Brooke._

_"Who said anything about relationships? You could just have like a summer fling or something, I mean seriously, why would you let a hot single guy go to waste?"_

_Haley giggled, "You know I don't do flings, Brookie."_

_"Well whatever, but I'm telling you, something is bound to happen! I mean he's single, you're single..." Brooke stated seriously _

_Haley laughed as she went to the trunk to unload another bag, when suddenly she heard Brooke let out a loud scream._

_"Luke's here! Luke's here!" She chanted loudly._

_Haley just shook her head, as she turned around and noticed Lucas pulling up to the sandy road in front of the cabin across the street._

_Lucas got out of his red truck, and squinted as Brooke ran into his arms._

_"I missed you!" Brooke pouted._

_Lucas smiled, and bent down to kiss Brooke. "I missed you too, pretty girl."_

_Haley decided to walk over to greet her best friend, and to also get a closer look at the guy in black basketball shorts and white duke t shirt, who was extremely good looking._

_"Ew, get a room!" She heard the raven haired teenager say in disgust. Haley couldn't help but laugh._

_"Yeah seriously, didn't you just see each other this morning?" _

_Haley looked up into the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and she swore that her heart skipped a beat._

_"Hi, I'm Haley James." She stated simply._

_The guy looked over at Haley and smiled, which made Haley's stomach flutter with butterflies._

_He seemed to be nervous as he stuttered a hello, "H-Hi, I'm Nathan. Nathan Scott._

_Haley smiled, as she stuck her hand out to shake hands with him._

_The second that their hands met, they both felt a spark, causing Haley to blush._

_"What no hello for your best bud?" Lucas joked._

_Haley turned around and smiled, "Hey Luke!" She greeted as she leaned in for a warm hug._

_"I see you've met my asshole of a cousin!" Lucas joked._

_Haley bit her lip, "Haha yeah" She giggled nervously._

_"Hey I'm not an asshole!" Nathan quickly defended._

_Lucas chuckled, "Whatever."_

_"So what are we doing?" Nathan asked._

_Haley ran her lip through her teeth, "Um, I guess we can go down to the beach soon." She suggested_

_"Oh! Yes! I want to wear my new bathing suit! Let's go get ready." Brooke squealed._

_The other three teens chuckled at her eagerness._

_"When's Peyt and Jake coming?" Lucas asked._

_"Probably with in a few hours, she just texted me and said they were stuck in traffic." Haley clarified._

_"Okay, so should we meet you at the beach?" Lucas asked again._

_Haley nodded, "Yeah, you know where it is, right?"_

_"Yeah, see you guys soon." Lucas smiled._

_"Bye Broody!" Brooke winked._

_Nathan stood there awkwardly as he tried not to stare at Haley._

_"Bye Nathan, it was great meeting you." Haley smiled._

_Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat. "You too." He smirked, and turned to follow his cousin into their cabin._

_Haley also turned back to find Brooke with a giant smile on her face._

_"Someone's happy." Haley joked._

_Brooke giggled, "You so like Nathan!"_

_Haley blushed, "Brooke I just met him! I don't even know him!"_

_"Yeah but you think he's hot!" Brooke accused._

_Haley bit her lip to try and suppress a smile. "He's alright." She lied._

_"Alright? Haley James, what are you on?"_

_Haley rolled her eyes, and walked into the beach house and towards her room, as Brooke followed her into her room._

_"Brooke! I need to change. Can you please leave?" Haley asked irritated._

_Brooke smirked. "I'm not leaving until you admit you think he's hot."_

_"Who?" Haley asked innocently._

_Brooke sighed loudly. "Nathan!"_

_"What about him?" Haley asked dumbly._

_"You know, for a tutor, you're not very smart." Brooke joked._

_Haley laughed. "Thanks Brooke."_

_ "So you do think he's hot?"_

_Haley rolled her eyes again, "If i say yes, will you please leave?"_

_Brooke nodded._

_"Then fine, he's hot."_

_Brooke smiled and started to jump up and down. "I knew it! Oh my god! You're going to be perfect for each other."_

_"Shut up! I said he was hot, so are a lot of other guys, it doesn't mean I'm going to marry him-"_

_"Oh my god! Then we'd be like cousin-in-laws-"_

_Haley laughed, "That's not even a real thing!"_

_"Well it is, if I say it is!"_

_"Remind me again why I'm friends with you?"  
"Because I'm beautiful, funny, nice-" Brooke ranted._

_"Okay, okay! I got it!" Haley smiled, and contemplated on which bathing suit to wear._

_"Go with the red one. It's totally hot!" Brooke gushed._

_Haley bit her lip, "Is it too slutty?"'_

_"Nope, but it's okay because Nathan likes sluts." Brooke grinned._

_Haley frowned, "Oh."_

_Brooke noticed Haley's smile fade, so she quickly recovered herself, "But it's okay because you're not a slut, but he was totally checking you out!"_

_Haley blushed slightly._

_"Haley James, are you blushing?" Brooke shrieked._

_"No!" Haley replied way too quickly. _

_Brooke smirked, "Don't lie to me."_

_"I could never lie to you Brooke Davis." Haley smiled sweetly._

_"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and get dressed! Will you?" Brooke pleaded._

_"I could've been done already if you weren't still in here!" Haley joked._

_"What's the big deal? We're best friends, and we have the same parts!"_

_Haley rolled her eyes, "Whatever, just don't look." Haley said as she started to change into her bikini._

_Brooke chuckled as she looked the other way. "I'm sure Nathan wouldn't mind being me right now."_

_"You're such a perve!" Haley joked._

_"Whatever, are you done yet?"_

"Are you done yet?" Brooke whined.

Haley laughed as she stepped out of her bathroom and into her bedroom, wearing a new red dress that she recently bought. "You're so impatient Brooke." Haley joked, "But yes, I'm done!"

Brooke got up from where she was seated on Haley's bed, and glanced towards her best friend. "Damn girl, you look hot!"

Haley smiled, "Thanks."

"So are we going to find you a guy tonight?" Brooke winked as she followed Haley down the stairs.

Haley rolled her eyes, "I don't know Brooke, I just want to have a girls night tonight."

Brooke shrugged, "Yeah but you know if you meet a hot guy, you can totally ditch me. I give you permission."

"Brooke, you know I'm not like that."

"Yeah but when I get you drunk..." Brooke said under her breath but Haley still heard her.

"Brooke!" She shrieked.

"What? You're 23 years old, you're allowed to get drunk."

Haley playfully laughed, "Okay thanks Mom."

Brooke laughed as she and Haley made their way towards Peyton's car.

"Hey girls!" Peyton greeted as Haley and Brooke entered her black comet.

"Hey, how are you?" Haley asked as she leaned across the passanger seat to hug her friend.

"I'm great. Jake and I have been decorating the baby's room all day, so it's good to get out."

"Aw that's so cute! What color is it?" Brooke gushed.

"Yellow, since we still don't know the gender." Peyton explained as she started to drive toward the local bar, Tric.

"That's sweet. So are you excited?" Haley asked.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, Jake's really excited too."  
Peyton and Jake have always been best friends, who later in high school developed feelings for each other, but both of them were too shy to admit it. They later went to the same college, and at a party they were both drunk and hooked up. The next day they decided to admit their feelings, and they became a couple. A year later, they ran off and got hitched, which was totally unexpected, and none of their friends knew. Peyton and Jake were, and still are so in love, and now four years later they're expecting a baby.

"That sucks you can't drink tonight." Brooke stated.

Haley and Peyton both chuckled.

"Brooke, I'm four months pregnant! Alcohol wouldn't be a good idea." Peyton explained.

"Well I'm going to get drunk tonight!" Brooke cheered,

Haley groaned in annoyance, "Brooke, please don't. Remember what happened last time?"

Brooke snickered, "No, I was drunk. I don't remember anything."

Haley laughed, "Well you puked all over me!"

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." Brooke said biting her lip.

"It's okay. I actually need a good buzz tonight." Haley said not meaning to say it out loud.

"Why?" Peyton asked, "Is something wrong?"

Haley fiddeled with her pinky ring, "Uh no."

"Liar!" Brooke screamed from the backseat. "She's mad because Nathan's here."

"What!" Peyton hollered.

Brooke rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah he's here for the wedding. Guess I forgot to tell you. Oops!"

Peyton slammed on the brakes, and Brooke and Haley both screamed.

"Way to tell me!" Peyton screamed.

"Sorry, I was busy?" Brooke stated as a lame excuse.

Peyton rolled her eyes, "Whatever, but Hales it's okay, just stay away from him."

Haley pursed her lips together and sighed, "Yeah well too late."

"What do you mean?"

"I kinda sorta ran into him in the grocery store." She explained shyly.

"Why would you even talk to him?"

"No, I mean I literally ran into him." Haley giggled.

"Oh, well, talk about fate!" Peyton said under her breath, and Brooke laughed.

"Ugh!" Haley moaned. "Can we not talk about him? I want to have a fun night. Nathan free!" She said trying to convince herself more than to her friends.

...

_Nathan turned over from his stomach to his back, as he lay on a white beach towel._

_"Will you stay in one place for like more than a minute, please?" Lucas complained, as he watched from his beach chair, as Nathan squirmed._

_"I'm trying to get comfortable!"_

_Lucas rolled his eyes through his sun glasses._

_"I fucking hate the beach!" Nathan complained. "Sand is all over me!"_

_Lucas chuckled. "That's what a beach is. Sand."_

_"Shut up Pucas!" Nathan snapped._

_"What's up your ass?"_

_"Nothing, I'm just bored." Nathan said dryly._

_"Well Brooke and Haley should be coming soon." Lucas said._

_Nathan instantly shot up from his blanket. "Yeah where are they?" He asked eagerly._

_"Whoah! What's the hurry, cous?"_

_Nathan ran a hand through his freshly buzzed cut hair. "Nothing."_

_"You want to see Haley don't you?"_

_Nathan scoffed, "No." He lied._

_"It's okay to admit you think she's hot."_

_"Dude! Back off you have Brooke!" Nathan argued._

_Lucas chuckled, "You're literally insane."_

_"Why?"_

_"I didn't mean it like that. Ew- Haley's not hot!"_

_Nathan raised an eyebrow, "Are you on something?"_

_"No, I just don't look at her like that." Lucas shrugged._

_Nathan smirked, "Well she's beau-" He coughed and quickly recovered himself, "I mean, um, yeah, she's totally hot."_

_Lucas just shook his head and continued to laugh as he went back to his book, and Nathan fell back onto the sand._

_A few minutes later, Brooke and Haley made their way over to the guys._

_"Hey!" Brooke called. _

_Lucas looked up from his book and smiled, "Hey pretty girl. What took you so long?"_

_"Haley! She was taking forever!" Brooke said dramatically._

_Haley scoffed, "I was not!"_

_Instantly hearing Haley's voice, Nathan opened his eyes, and felt all the blood rush south. His mouth went completely dry, and he couldn't form a coherent thought, except that she was looking extremely sexy in a simple red bikini. His mouth almost dropped to the floor, and he felt himself start to drool._

_Brooke chuckled as she noticed Nathan's reaction. _

_"Hey Nate."_

_"Mhmm?' Nathan asked while still in a trance._

_Haley looked over to Nathan and caught him starring, and she instantly felt her body increase its temperature._

_"Hi." She said shyly._

_"Hi!" Nathan choked out. "I'm glad you're here." His voice cracked. "I mean uh," He cleared his throat, "Luke's boring me to death."_

_Lucas rolled his eyes, "I think you need to cool off." He snickered as he watched Nathan cover up his erection._

_"I wanna swim!" Brooke whined. "Someone come with me!"_

_Haley bit her lip, "Sorry Brooke, girl problems." She whispered._

_Brooke stuck her tongue out. "You suck."_

_"I'll come with you." Lucas said as he got up from his chair and grabbed Brooke's hand._

_"Are you coming Nate?" Lucas asked._

_And miss alone time with Haley? Yeah right! "Uh, no thanks. I think I'll hang back here for a bit."_

_"Alright suit yourself!" Brooke called and dragged Lucas down to the ocean._

_Nathan and Haley both laughed. "Is she always that crazy?" Nathan asked._

_Haley smiled, "Yeah, and believe it or not, she's actually calm today!"_

_Nathan laughed loudly, "I don't know how Lucas put's up with her."_

_"Yeah I don't even know how I put up with her!" She smiled, as she set up her towel next to Nathan's and sat down._

_Nathan gulped, and tried not to stare at Haley, "How long have you been friends?" He asked._

_"Basically my whole life." She giggled, causing Nathan to smile. "Our Dad's have always been friends, so we pretty much grew up together."_

_Nathan listened carefully to Haley. Normally he would have been bored, but with Haley, he was intrigued, and couldn't look away._

_"That's cool."_

_"Yeah, my parents consider her another daughter, even though they don't necessarily need another one." Haley laughed._

_"Why? How many sisters do you have?" Nathan asked as he was starring into her deep brown eyes, and he felt himself drowning in them._

_"Three."_

_"Whoa, so your parents have four daughters? That's rough!"_

_Haley giggled, "Actually I'm one of seven. I have three older brothers."_

_Nathan's eyebrows instantly shot up. "Wow! That must have been an entertaining childhood."_

_Haley laughed, "Oh yeah definitely." She said sarcastically. "I have two bathrooms in my house. So that was horrible."_

_Nathan chuckled, "Wow, I can't even imagine that! Where do you fall in the order?" He asked._

_"I'm the baby." Haley said shyly._

_Nathan smirked, and couldn't help but think how adorable she was. "Aw!"_

_Haley blushed, and playfully hit Nathan._

_"No I'm serious. I wish I had a big family. I'm the only child." Nathan shrugged._

_Haley frowned as she heard his somber tone. "Sometimes I wish I was an only child, but I love my siblings. They all are so different, and my parents are crazy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything." Haley gushed._

_Nathan turned over to rest on his stomach and rested his face in his palms as he continued to stare at Haley._

_"So where are you from?" Haley asked as she flipped her hair so she could place it in a messy bun on top of her head._

_"Charlotte." Nathan smiled._

_"That's cool! So I heard you're quite the prestigious basketball player." Haley joked._

_Nathan chuckled and shrugged, "Yeah I guess. I actually was born in Tree Hill, but when I was 6, we moved to Charlotte, because there's a really great basketball school, and my Dad wanted me to go." Nathan explained. He usually never told anyone this, especially people he just met, but with Haley he felt different. She was so easy to talk to, and he really liked being able to confide in someone._

_"So you must be really great." Haley stated._

_"I guess so." Nathan chuckled as he dug his feet in the sand._

_"So let me guess- you're going to Duke?" She asked._

_Nathan smiled, "How'd you know?"_

_"Well first of all, it's the best basketball team." She smiled, and Nathan smirked, loving the fact a girl liked his future basketball team. "And second of all, you were wearing a Duke shirt before." Haley laughed._

_Nathan chuckled, and his heart warmed that she remembered what he wore. "Oh yeah, well I guess it's pretty obvious. So what about you, where are you going?"_

_Haley bit her lip, "Stanford."_

_"Damn! You must be like a freaking genius!" Nathan joked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "I don't know about that."_

_"What's your major?"_

_"Education. I want to be an English Teacher." She gushed._

_Nathan smiled genuinely. "I now understand why Luke's friends with you."_

_Haley giggled girlishly, "Yeah, we're nerds."_

_"I knew he was, but I wouldn't have guessed that you were." Nathan said honestly._

_Haley blushed, "How come?"_

_"You're really pretty, and usually nerds aren't." Haley felt her cheeks warm, "You're not weird either." Nathan joked._

_Haley smiled, "Thanks, I think?" _

_Nathan chuckled, "No, that was a compliment."_

_"Well thanks." She blushed._

_"Seriously though, why are you friends with a loser like Luke?" He joked again._

_"He's a great guy. We have a lot in common, and it's pretty cool that my two best friends are in love with each other."_

_"How come you never liked Luke like that?"_

_Haley almost gagged, "Ew! I actually knew him a while before he even met Brooke, then one day she told me she liked him, and I was like, 'I can totally set you up!' But yeah, I never liked him like that, because he's like my brother, and we're too much alike." Haley said scrunching her nose. _

_Nathan shrugged, "If I were him, I would've liked you." He smirked._

_Haley blushed again, and ran her lower lip through her teeth. "Probably not."_

_"No, I'm serious, I mean I can see why you don't like him like that, but I don't know how he can't, or at least be attracted to you." Nathan explained._

_Haley's face turned redder than a tomato, and she tried her hardest to suppress a girly laugh. She felt like she was on cloud nine, because he was blatantly flirting with her. _

_Nathan was so tempted to reach across and push the hair that was in front of her face behind her ear, but he knew he shouldn't._

_Haley looked up into the intense sun, and squinted. "Do you mind rubbing some sun screen on my back? I don't want to burn." Haley asked as she bit her lip._

_Nathan swallowed the large lump that formed in his throat. "Uh sure."_

_Haley turned onto her stomach, and handed Nathan the lotion. He squirted some into his hands and placed himself over Haley and kneed down, so he could rub the lotion on her._

_She flinched when she felt the cold cream, but instantly grew hotter when she felt Nathan's warm, calloused hands on her back. Nathan was nervous at first and kept his hands near her upper back but eventually gained enough courage to lower his hands towards her lower region. _

_Haley bit her lip to keep back a content moan, and Nathan tried to think of anything other than the fact he was rubbing his hands all over the prettiest girl he had ever seen in his life. _

_Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat, and continued to massage the lotion onto Haley._

_"Is uh, this good?" Nathan choked out._

_Haley smiled, "Yeah, thanks so much."_

_"No problem." Nathan smiled as he reluctantly got off of Haley, and wiped his hands on a towel. "You want something to drink?" He asked pointing to the cooler of refreshments near his towel._

_"Yes please."_

_"Is lemonade good?"_

_"Perfect, thanks!" Haley smiled as Nathan tossed her a can of lemonade, but she dropped it in the sand. "Shit!" She muttered._

_Nathan chuckled._

_"I'm a klutz!" Haley declared embarrassed, as she bent down to pick it up, and attempted to wipe the sand off of it._

_"It's okay. Do you want a new one?"_

_"Oh no thanks, I think I wiped most of the sand off of it." _

_Nathan smiled, "Okay."_

_Haley took a sip of lemonade, and Nathan still couldn't seem to look away from her._

_"Is there something on my face?" Haley asked self conciously as she noticed Nathan's intense gaze on her._

_Nathan instantly looked away and smiled shyly. "Oh no, sorry, I was just looking at you."_

_"Oh. Okay." Haley said simply, and squirted some sun tan lotion on her hands, and bent down to rub it on her legs._

_Nathan quickly turned over to hide his erection, and he flipped on his sunglasses so he could sneek another peak at Haley, who was humming a sweet melody as she put the rest of her lotion on._

_A few seconds later, a group of teenage guys came over to Haley._

_"Hey, I'm Joey, I was just wondering if you wanted to play some volleyball with us." A tall blonde guy with a surfer cut asked, as he played with a volleyball in his hands._

_Haley bit her lip, and looked over at Nathan who seemed to be balling his fists at his side._

_"Oh uh no thanks. I'm not very good at sports." Haley giggled._

_Joey laughed, "That's alright, neither am I, but do you want to catch some lunch then?"_

_"Oh. Maybe another time, I'm not very hungry."_

_"Okay. Well I hope I'll see you around, you're definitely the prettiest girl here."_

_Haley blushed, and Nathan clenched his jaw tightly, obviously jealous of the guy flirting with Haley._

_"Thanks." She smiled._

_"What's your name?"_

_"Haley." She stated simply._

_"Well Haley, it was a pleasure to meet you."_

_"You too!" She said to be polite when in reality she was a little creeped out. _

_Just then, One of joeys friends came over to Haley._

_"Hey she's hot! Did you get her number?" The teenage boy asked._

_Joey rolled his eyes, "nah she didn't seem interested."_

_"Yeah there are a lot of other better girls around. Don't take it personal." Joeys friend said._

_Nathan listened carefully to their conversation, and couldn't help but want to pummel them._

_Suddenly another guy came over and started to state at Haley, while she turned over to sun bathe._

_"Dude, you Guys are lame! I can totally get her! Watch this!" The guy suddenly went up to Haley and slapped her ass, Haley's eyes instantly widened and turned around with a look of disgust on her face. Before she could say anything, Nathan suddenly stood up and roughly shoved the teenager._

_"Why the hell did you do that?" Nathan asked._

_Haley suddenly jumped up and watched the two guys argue with one another._

_"Dude, chill out, I'm just playing around."_

_"Don't freaking touch her! What's wrong with you?"_

_"What are you, her brother?"_

_Nathan almost laughed, but didn't because he was too angry. "No, it doesn't matter who I am, but just back off."_

_"Or what? I'm not afraid of you!" The light brown haired guy instigated._

_Nathan squeezed his fist tighter and was about to punch him in the face, when suddenly Haley stepped in front of him and gently grabbed his wrists._

_"Nathan, don't- he's not worth it. Come on, let's go for a walk." Haley said as she tried to calm him down._

_Nathan instantly felt himself relax, and grabbed Haley's hand as he walked away glaring at the other teenage boy._

_When they made it down to the water, Nathan looked at Haley and frowned. "I'm really sorry about that, I know I shouldn't have-"_

_Nathan was cut off when Haley wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him._

_"What was that for?" he chuckled._

_"That was nice of you to stick up for me. You didn't have to do that."_

_"I know, and I shouldn't have- it's not my place-"_

_Haley giggled, "No, it's okay, I'm glad you do. Those guys were really annoying me."_

_"So you weren't into them?"_

_Haley laughed again, "No definitely not."_

_"Oh." Nathan said trying to hide his happiness. _

_Haley chuckled, and started to walk into the ocean. "Are you coming?"_

_Nathan smirked, "Sure." He said as he chased Haley into the water._

...

"Dude are you even listening to me?" Nathan's friend, Clay Evans asked, as they were sitting at the bar in Tric.

Nathan suddenly shook his head to come back to reality instead of thinking about his flashback, and looked at Clay.

"Yeah, sorry bro. What was that?" He asked.

Clay laughed and shook his head. "What's up with you man? You've been spacing out all night."

"Yeah I know and I am sorry I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

Before Nathan could answer, he looked up and his mouth literally went dry and practically fell on the floor."

Clay laughed at Nathan's expression and looked across to the entrance to see Nathan's line of vision.

"Damn she's hot!" Clay said to Nathan.

Nathan was too engrossed in his trance to even respond to Clay. He watched intently as Haley made her way through tric wearing a tight, classy red dress.

"Dude if you don't get with that, then I will!" Clay said as he was starring at Haley. Nathan quickly snapped out of his trance and glared at Clay.

"Back off!" He grit through his teeth.

Clay smirked, "she's fair game."

Nathan clenched his jaw, "she's mine."

Clay snorted, "she doesn't even know you!"

Nathan's nostrils flared. "Just back off Clay."

"WHOAH! Someone's jealous!"

"I'm not jealous, just don't look at her!" Nathan seethed.

"Why not?"

Nathan just took a swig of his beer and watched as all the men's heads started to turn when Haley walked by.

"Do you know her?" Clay asked.

Nathan ran a hand through his raven hair. "Yeah I do."

"Is that what's been on your mind?"

Nathan just nodded and stared intently into his beer bottle.

"What happened?" Clay pressed.

"I've been in love with her since I was eighteen." Nathan said barely above a whisper.

Clay snickered, "love? Dude you must be drunk."

Nathan looked up and glared at Clay. "Shut up! You don't understand, just leave me alone." Nathan said solemnly.

Clay frowned at the hurt look on his friend. "I'm sorry man. I don't know what happened, but you should go up to her. You clearly still have feelings for her." He said as he put his hand on Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan shrugged. "I do."

"Then go up to her before you miss your chance." Clay said as he looked toward Haley who was surrounded by Brooke Peyton and a group of other men.

Nathan's eyes burned with fire as he watched the men attempt to flirt with Haley. Haley was in the middle of the dance floor smiling and laughing, and very unaware of the fact that Nathan was in Tric, and watching her intently.

"Hey, you want a drink?" A blonde haired man whispere in Haley's ear.

"No thanks." She replied, and walked towards Peyton.

"Hey foxy. What's up?"

"Not much, just had to get away from the madness." Haley chuckled as she referred to the group of guys surrounding Brooke.

"She sure seems to be enjoying herself!" Peyton laughed.

Haley chuckled, "yeah, well she's going to be a married woman in a few days!"

Haley and Peyton made their way over to the bar, and sat down.

"Can I get you ladies anything?" The female bartender asked.

Peyton smiled, "Can I get a Diet Coke please?"

"Sure." The bartender agreed and walked away.

Haley's eye brows lifted up.

"I wanted to get something!" She pouted.

A minute later, the bartender walked over with a diet coke and a Mikes Hard Lemonade.

"The attractive man over there, told me to give this to you." The bartender smiled as she handed Haley her drink.

Haley looked over and saw a blonde haired guy with a quirky smirk engaged in a conversation with a man who had his back turned towards Haley.

She assumed the blonde haired guy was the one who bought her the drink, so when her gaze met his, she smiled.

"He's cute!" Peyton gushed.

Haley smiled, "Yeah, he is!" She agreed.

Clay smirked and Haley, and Nathan looked at clay with fire in his eyes.

"What's she doing?" Nathan asked.

Clay looked back at his friend and smiled, "She's smiling."

"God I love her smile." Nathan gushed.

"Yeah well she thinks the drink is from me, idiot!" Clay stated.

"What!" Nathan started to freak out and was about to turn around when Clay stopped him.

"Don't turn around, it'll blow our cover!" Clay advised.

Nathan sighed loudly, "I want her to know its from me!"

"Just trust me!" Clay said.

Haley took a swig of her drink and smiled.

"I haven't had this since I was eighteen!" Haley said as she remembered the first time she had an alcoholic beverage.

_Nathan and Haley sat alone, wrapped up in each others arms on the beach on a laid back summer night, as they watched the sun set. _

_"Come on, just one sip. It won't hurt!" Nathan pressed. _

_Haley bit her lip. "Nathan, I don't know... What if I get in trouble?"_

_Nathan chuckled, "you won't! Just have one sip. You'll love it!"_

_Haley looked into Nathan's blue eyes and she instantly knew she was a goner._

_"Fine. One sip!" Haley said as Nathan handed her a bottle of Mikes Hard Lemonade. She unscrewed the top and put the bottle to her lips and swallowed. When she finished her small sip, she smiled._

_"So?" Nathan pressed_.

_"It was good." She smirked._

_"Just good?"_

_"Fine it was amazing." Haley smiled widely, and took another sip._

_"Told you that you would like it!" Nathan smirked._

_Haley giggled, "it's like lemonade!"_

_"Yeah you can hardly tell that it has alcohol."_

_"I like it!" She giggled._

_"I still can't believe you've never had alcohol before." Nathan said._

_Haley shrugged, "it never appealed to me before."_

_"Well does it appeal to you now?" Nathan asked._

_Haley smiled, "You appeal to me." She whispered seductively to Nathan._

_Nathan smiled, "Good because you appeal to me too." He said as he leaned in and met Haley's lips for a long sweet kiss._

Peyton noticed Haley's entire demeanor change, as she starred into the bottle of Mikes Hard Lemonade.

"What's wrong?" Peyton asked.

Haley smiled sadly. "I was just remembering the first time I drank this. Nathan gave it to me." She said trying to suppress a smile. "I got drunk that night. And he stayed by me the whole time."

Peyton smiled, "so he does have a heart?"

Haley frowned, "yeah an I broke it."

Peyton put her hand over Haley's.

"Listen to me- it is not your fault. Do not beat yourself up over this. He broke his own heart, when he didn't call you back. It's been five years, it's time to move on."

Haley sighed, "I know, I know, but every once and a while- no, more like every freaking day- there's some subtle reminder of him, and I just can't help these emotions that come with it, and I really don't know what to do!" She cried.

Peyton frowned, "it'll be okay Hales."

Haley lifted up her bottle and took a long hard, gulp of the alcoholic beverage.

"I need to get drunk!" Haley said loudly, and Peyton laughed, but then stopped as she saw the man who had his bak turned to her, get up.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked as she noticed Peyton's eyes follow a man with dark hair.

"Nothing, I um have to go to the bathroom!" Peyton said quickly.

Haley laughed as she sat on a stool and drank some more, while Peyton chased Nathan towards the bathroom.

"Nathan!" Peyton called.

Nathan heard his name and instantly turned around.

"Peyton!" He smiled, "how are you?"

Peyton cut her eyes at Nathan. "Cut the crap Nate. Why are you here? What are you trying to do?" Peyton asked.

Nathan was caught off guard by her harsh tone.

"I'm not trying to do anything!"

Peyton scoffed, "yeah okay. You just bought a drink for her. I know you're up to something."

Nathan frowned, "I'm sorry that I'm trying to reconcile with the girl I love!" Nathan said dramatically.

"Just do us all a favor, and stay the hell away from Haley. She doesn't need another heart break!" Peyton spat.

Nathan frowned, "I never knew loving someone was such a crime!"

"You never loved her! It's impossible to be in love after two months. You were 18, just get over it!"

Nathan shook his head, "You know Peyton, I really don't remember you being such a bitch!"

"And I don't remember you being such a selfish asshole... oh wait!"

Nathan rolled his eyes, and walked away into the mens bathroom to freshen up.

Meanwhile, Haley walked over to Clay and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Haley." She slurred.

_Uh Oh._ Clay thought. "Uh, hi. I'm Clay."

"I just wanted to thank you for the drink. It's my favorite. How'd you know?' She desperately tried to flirt in order to get her mind off of Nathan.

"I didn't know.." Clay said uncomfortably.

Nathan walked out of the bathroom to find Haley giggling around Clay and he quickly ran over to them.

"Well thanks again for the drink. It was just what I needed." Haley smiled.

"I didn't get it for you." Clay spoke up, noticing that Nathan was coming.

"Well who did?" Haley asked confused.

"I did." Nathan said from behind her.

* * *

**Don't hate me! I know! It's a cliff hanger! Sorry, but I feel like it's the only way to keep readers interested. Please review! I love to hear comments/thoughts/suggestions. Thanks for the support!**


	5. Are you Gonna Kiss Me or Not?

**Anyone who is a country music fan, will understand the title of this chapter :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's one of my favorites so far. I spent the entire day working on it, so reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for everyone who is reading it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, only the story line **

**Chapter 5: Are you Gonna Kiss Me or Not? (Thompson Square)**

* * *

Haley didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Nathan speaking to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a high voice.

Nathan gulped, "I was here with my friend Clay, and then you showed up." Nathan explained.

Haley didn't know what to say, but the way Nathan's eyes bore into hers, she couldn't deny the way he made her feel. Her heart was practically about to jump through her chest.

"You look great- amazing, actually." Nathan smiled.

Haley slightly blushed, "Thanks."

"So you want another drink?" Nathan asked.

"No, but thanks though." Haley then looked over her shoulder to find Peyton glaring at her. "I need to go." She rushed out, and walked over to the table where Peyton was seated.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked, taking a seat next to Peyton.

Peyton rolled her eyes, "What's wrong? I should be asking you the same thing! Why are you talking to Nathan?"

"He bought me a drink!" Haley explained while throwing her hands in the air.

Before Peyton could scold Haley more, Brooke came strutting over. "What's up ladies?" She slurred.

Neither girls answered, but just stared straight ahead where Nathan was sitting. Brooke whipped her head around, and her mouth fell open. "Why's Nate here?"

"Probably just trying to ruin Haley's night. What else is new?" Peyton said while ripping up a napkin.

Haley laughed, "Whatever, it's a free country. He can be here, but I won't let him ruin my night."

"Wow you must be drunk." Peyton pointed out.

"Maybe a little." Haley smiled, and got up when Brooke started to pull on her arm.

"Come on! Let's go dance!" Brooke shouted excitedly. "Show Nathan that you don't need him!"

Haley pouted, "I think I do need him!"

"Oh shut up! Let's have some fun!" Brooke whined. "Are you coming P. Sawyer- Jagelski?"

Peyton tapped her fingers impatiently against the table, "No thanks, you go have fun."

"Remind me never to get pregnant or I'll turn into a bitch!" Brooke snickered, and made her way to the dance floor with Haley.

After about thirty seconds of being on the dance floor, Brooke and Haley already had about ten guys surrounding them, trying to dance with them.

Nathan had his back against the bar, as he held a beer can tightly. His nostrils started to flare, and he felt the fire burning through his veins as he watched men fawn all over his Haley.

It was understandable as to why the men were drawn to Haley. It was impossible not to be. She just had a way about her, that made everything better. As angry as he was, watching guys all over Haley, he also couldn't help but smile. Haley had a huge smile on her face, and she just looked so care free. A fast song was playing, and she was jumping up and down, screaming the lyrics to Brooke, and she didn't even realize that all the guys in the place were drooling over her. She looked beautiful in her strapless red dress, and her loose dirty blonde curls hung freely on her shoulders.

Clay looked over at Nathan who was clutching his can a little too tightly, and his jaw was clenched.

"Hey man, you need to relax." Clay advised.

Nathan didn't take his eyes off of Haley, "Relax? How the hell can I relax when I'm watching a bunch of horny guys drooling over the girl that I want?"

"Well why are you standing here like an idiot just watching? Go up to her!" Clay stated as he took a swig of his beer, and let his eyes follow two blonde chicks who were walking past the bar.

Haley tried her hardest not to look up at Nathan but she couldn't help it. He was so intriguing, and she wanted to get lost in those bright blue eyes. When she looked up, she caught his intense gaze, and she felt her heart stop in her chest. She could tell he was jealous. He stood silently against the bar, with his strong arms folded over his chest, and his jaw was clenched. Haley smirked to herself, loving Nathan's jealous side, and pulled the nearest guy closer to her body. The black curly haired man smiled, when Haley started to grind against him, and Nathan squeezed the can even tighter, creating an indent in the can.

Haley smiled, as the guy put his hands on her sides. The lower his hands dipped, the more Nathan's blood pressure increased. When the guy moved his hands to her ass, and squeezed it, Nathan literally threw his can of beer on the floor, and marched straight over to Haley and fiercely pushed the guy off of her.

"Keep your hands to your self!" Nathan spat.

The black haired man, named Nick, put his hands in the air, and his eye's widened.

"What the hell bro?" Nick exclaimed.

Nick then looked at Haley who looked just as pissed. "Is this your boyfriend?" He asked.

Haley scoffed, "No, definitely not!"

Nathan's heart constricted in his chest.

"Who is he then?" Nick asked.

""Just some one I used to know." Haley said, and grabbed on to Nathan's strong bicep, dragging him away from the dance floor. "I'm sorry Nick, I'll be right back." Haley explained.

"Haley, where are we going?" Nathan asked.

Haley pulled him outside of Tric and glared at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Haley shouted.

Nathan gulped. He forgot how scary Haley was when she was pissed. "That guy- he was touching you."

"So?" Haley asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"I-I-I" Nathan stuttered. He had no idea what to say.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Nathan, we aren't together anymore. I'm allowed to dance with a guy! There was absolutely no reason for you to-" Haley started to rant, but was cut off when Nathan's lips attached to hers. At first, Haley was in complete shock, and her mind was in a haze because of the combination of alcohol, and Nathan's intoxicating scent of cologne. His lips were soft at first, and Haley wanted to pinch herself because she thought it was a dream. She missed his lips, and often reflected upon what it was like to kiss Nathan. Haley's mind instantly flashed back to the first time they kissed. She would never, ever forget it.

_After hours of convincing, Haley finally agreed to go on a date with Nathan. She still had no idea where they were going and all he told her was to wear comfortable shoes._

_"Tutor girl! Are you almost done? I have to do your make up!" Brooke whined._

_Haley laughed softly as she came out of the bathroom, wearing a light green sundress._

_Brooke turned around and shrieked loudly, "Tutor girl! You look beautiful!"_

_Haley blushed, "Really?"_

_"Yep! Nathan won't even know what hit him!"_

_Haley giggled, and her face got even warmer. "Okay, well he's going to be here soon, so hurry up!"_

_Brooke rolled her eyes, "He's right across the street, he can wait."_

_After about twenty minutes, Brooke finished with Haley's make up, and Haley put her honey blonde hair pinned back into a neat bun. She was putting on her silver strapless sandals, when there was a soft knock on their cabin door._

_Brooke squealed and jumped up from the chair she was sitting in. "That must be Nathan! I'll go get it!" She exclaimed happily and ran down the stairs to open the door. On the other side, Nathan stood in a light blue collared shirt, and beige cargo shorts, holding a bouquet of small purple flowers. He had on a nervous smile, but it quickly faded when Brooke opened the door._

_"Where's Hales?' He asked._

_Brooke rolled her eyes, '"Nice to see you too, Nate!" She joked._

_Nathan chuckled, "Sorry. Hi Brooke. I'm just a little nervous for tonight." Nathan admitted shyly._

_"Aw! That's so cute!" Brooke cooed. "Haley's just finishing getting ready upstairs. She looks ah-maz-ing by the way." _

_Nathan smiled, "She always does."_

_"Aw! I knew you guys would be totally adorable together! But I swear to god Nathan, you better not break her heart because she's my best friend, and if you do anything, I will kill you...-" Brooke was ranting, but Nathan wasn't paying attention because he looked up and watched as Haley came down the stairs. His breath got caught in his throat, and he felt like his heart would explode. His stomach started to do back flips, and he lost the ability to think. _

_Haley smiled shyly as she descended the staircase, and looked into Nathan's crystal blue eyes. He had on a blue shirt, which made his eyes even more clear, and Haley loved the way they bore into her own. His collared shirt clung to his muscular body, and Haley couldn't deny how handsome he looked. She stepped down from the staircase and walked straight into Nathan's open arms. He hugged her tightly, inhaling her vanilla scented shampoo, but still unable to form a complete thought._

_Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan's lower body, and instantly became intoxicated by his strong scent of cologne. She pulled away from the hug and smiled. _

_"Hi, Nathan."_

_Nathan starred at Haley's mouth, and knew it was moving, but he couldn't hear what she way saying. His eyes then swept over Haley's green sun dress, which stopped a little above her knees, displaying her tan, fit, legs. The dress was classy, and flowed nicely, but also showed a decent amount of cleavage, which Nathan appreciated._

_Brooke noticed that Nathan was in a trance, and knocked him upside the head. "Nathan!"_

_"S-s-orry! What?" Nathan choked out._

_Haley giggled, "Hi." She whispered again._

_Nathan looked down and smiled. "Hi, you look absolutely beautiful Haley." _

_Haley blushed. "Thank you."_

_Nathan bent down, and whispered in Haley's ear. "I'm serious. You stole my breath away."_

_Haley listened as Nathan's hot breath tickled against her ear, causing a shiver to run up her spine. She giggled girlishly, and kissed Nathan lightly on the cheek, but turned around when Brooke cleared her throat._

_"Yes, Brookie?" Haley asked sweetly._

_"Nathan has something to give you." Brooke said referring to the bouquet of flowers._

_"Oh, right." Nathan choked. "I brought you flowers. I hope you like them. I tried to get roses but there weren't any left." Nathan explained._

_Haley smiled widely, and her eyes sparkled in the light. "I love these! They're beautiful! Thanks Nathan." She said giving Nathan another hug._

_Brooke smiled as she watched the couple interact. "Here, I'll put them in water. You two go, and have fun." Brooke advised._

_Haley smiled, and hugged Brooke. "Thanks!"_

_Nathan smiled at Brooke, and then wrapped his arm around Haley's lower back as they made their way out of the cabin._

_"So what are we doing?" Haley asked eagerly._

_Nathan chuckled, "I can't tell you. You just have to wait."_

_Haley pouted. "Can you at least give me a little hint?"_

_Nathan smiled, "Nope."_

_"You're mean!" Haley pouted._

_Nathan chuckled, "We'll be there soon, I promise, and trust me you're going to love it!"_

_Haley smiled, "Okay." _

_Nathan and Haley walked a few blocks in order to get to a small lake, and walked to the docks. Nathan pulled away from Haley and walked behind a few trees, but returned a few seconds later, carrying a small row boat. Haley stood off to the side, wondering what he was doing._

_"Are we going in that?" Haley asked._

_Nathan nodded, and pulled the boat to the edge of the lake, while wiping the dirt on his hands, onto his shorts._

_Haley walked over to Nathan, and raised her eyebrow. "What are you up to Nathan Scott?"_

_Nathan chuckled, "You'll see." He said as he held out his hand, and Haley grabbed it, and Nathan helped her into the wooden row boat. Once Haley was situated, Nathan then slowly entered the boat, and grabbed the wooden oars. _

_"Are we going to get in trouble for this?" Haley asked as Nathan started to sail away._

_Nathan laughed, "No, don't worry. Luke and I used to come out here all the time when we were kids."_

_Haley smiled, "You came here before?"_

_"Yeah." Nathan smiled, "Luke's family would take me for like two weeks every summer, but we stopped because my Dad would always send me to some basketball camp, for the entire summer."_

_Haley frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that. It must've been rough."_

_Nathan shrugged, "Yeah. My life basically revolved around basketball, I never had time to just be a kid, y'know?"_

_Haley nodded, and placed her hand on Nathan's knee. "I'm sorry."_

_"It's alright, I guess I'll thank my dad one day when I make it to the NBA." Nathan smirked._

_Haley smiled widely, "I'm sure you'll be the best player." She said genuinely._

_Nathan laughed, "I wouldn't go that far. I mean my height is considered short in the NBA."_

_Haley smiled, "Well then I guess I'd be a midget." She pouted._

_Nathan laughed._

_"Hey don't laugh!" Haley scolded._

_Nathan chuckled, "I'm sorry, but you are short."_

_Haley pouted, and folded her hands across her chest._

_"Hey, I think it's adorable. I like short girls." Nathan smiled, and Haley blushed as she uncrossed her arms._

_"Oh really?" She flirted._

_"Yep. I like short girls, named Haley James." Nathan flirted back._

_Haley's cheeks reddened, but decided to play with Nathan. "I like tall guys, named...Joey." Haley joked._

_Nathan's smile instantly fell, and his heart constricted in his chest._

_Haley saw Nathan's look of shock on his face, and tried her hardest not to laugh._

_"Oh." Nathan said sadly._

_Haley bit her lip. "Nathan, I'm kidding." She said, and placed her hand over his. "I like you." Nathan then let out an inaudible sigh of content. A huge smile, then took over his features._

_"I like you too." He said shyly. "A lot." He added._

_Haley smiled, and slowly leaned over the oars. _

_Nathan's heart rate increased tenfold, because he knew Haley was leaning in for a kiss._

Why am I so nervous? I've kissed girls before. None of them were ever Haley_... Nathan thought._

_Haley licked her lips lightly, and starred at Nathan's, hoping he would lean in._

_Nathan stood there like an idiot, and his mouth hung open._

_"So, are you going to kiss me, or not?" Haley flirted._

_Nathan's eyes went from Haley's lips, to her innocent brown eyes, and he smiled._

_"I don't know. Do you want me to?"_

_Haley didn't say anything, but just nodded._

_Nathan smirked, and then dropped the oars, and leaned across the middle to meet Haley for a chaste kiss._

_Haley's eyes instantly snapped shut when she felt Nathan's warm lips on hers._

_A spark immediately jolted between the couple, and Nathan's pressed his soft lips against Haley's candy flavored lips._

_The kiss was soft and sweet, and lasted for about five seconds, when Nathan reluctantly pulled away._

_Haley's eyes stayed closed, and she brought her finger to where Nathan's lips just where, and she smiled softly. _

_"That was..." Nathan began._

_"That was.." Haley whispered, but then jumped across the boat, and threw her arms around Nathan, surprising herself and him, as she kissed him again. _

_Nathan was shocked at first that Haley would be so bold, but he didn't care because the first kiss was breathtaking, and now Haley wanted to kiss him deeper, and he sure as hell wasn't about to start complaining. Nathan slowly ran his tongue along Haley's lower lip, and she smiled when Nathan wrapped his arms around her lower back, and kisser her deeper._

_The two teenagers soon engaged in a heated make out, until the need for air became an issue, and Haley slowly pulled away._

_Nathan smiled, "Wow."_

_Haley giggled nervously. "I never did that before." She admitted shyly._

_Nathan's eyes shot up. "Are you serious?"_

_Haley nodded._

_"I never would've guessed. You sure can kiss." He grinned._

_Haley's cheeks burned, and she smiled at her feet._

_Nathan couldn't help but think how adorable she was, and he couldn't stop smiling. "So are you ready for the best date of your life?" Nathan asked._

_Haley smiled, and looked up into Nathan's blue eyes. "Oh, so bringing me out in the middle of a lake to kiss me wasn't the date?" She joked._

_Nathan chuckled slightly, "Oh that was just the warm up." He winked._

_"Oh really?" Haley flirted._

_Nathan nodded, "Yeah, we should actually get there any minute."_

_Haley watched as Nathan rowed the boat, and she looked behind her, and saw an island like piece of land, and she gasped. _

_"Don't look yet!" Nathan commanded lightly._

_Haley turned around and blushed, "Oops. Sorry."_

_Nathan laughed, 'You're going to be the death of me James."_

_Finally, Nathan rowed the boat up to the sand, and slowly got out. Once he was on the land, he helped Haley out, and gently placed her on the ground._

_"What is this place?" Haley asked in awe._

_Nathan smiled. "One day, when Luke and I were on the lake, we found this little piece of land. No one was here, considering it's mostly just trees, but we thought it was the coolest thing, so we made it our spot. We named it 'Scott's Island.'" Nathan explained proudly._

_Haley's heart melted, at the image. Haley placed her small hand on Nathan's cheek. "That's so sweet Nathan." She cooed._

_Nathan smiled. "I remember we made a pact, not to tell anyone about it, but I guess you can be an exception." He joked._

_Haley giggled, "Well I'm honored."_

_Nathan then hooked his arm through Haley's and he walked her to a higher elevation of the land. "I want to show you something." Nathan explained_

_Haley followed Nathan as they hiked up the land, and made it to a rocky area, over looking the lake. Haley's jaw almost fell to the ground, and her heart dropped to her stomach. She wanted to cry how romantic the setting was. There was a picnic set up, with a bunch of candles, and rose petals around the blanket. The yellow sun was setting in the distance, creating the lake to have a glow effect._

_"Nathan! It's beautiful!" Haley gasped._

_Nathan smiled, "You like it?"_

_"Are you kidding? I love it! This is perfect!" Haley gushed._

_Nathan was relieved, he was worried that it would be too much for a first date, but decided that he would trust Lucas's word for it. _

_"Okay, good. I'm glad." Nathan smiled, and followed Haley onto the picnic blanket._

_"So what's for dinner?" Haley asked licking her lips._

_Nathan smirked, "Your favorite. Mac 'n' Cheese!" He said happily as he took the contents out of the bag, and placed in front of Haley._

_Haley's eyes widened, and she felt her stomach growl with hunger. "You're seriously the best!" _

_"I know, so are you." Nathan smirked._

_The two of them, then engaged in small talk while finishing their meals. After dinner, Haley lay comfortably in Nathan's arms, as they watched the sun set._

_"This is so beautiful." Haley whispered._

_Nathan smiled, "So are you."_

_Haley smiled, and leaned up to meet Nathan's lips in a passionate kiss._

_"So was this the best first date ever?" Nathan asked as he pulled away._

_Haley giggled, "Definitely." _

Haley sighed against Nathan's lips. She couldn't believe she was kissing him again. It was like a dream. Because God only knows, how many times over the past five years that she dreamed about kissing Nathan again.

Nathan had no idea what came over him, but he just knew he needed to feel Haley's lips against his. He missed her so much, and he dreamed about this moment forever. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to kiss her again, and he didn't want to miss his chance.

Haley felt Nathan's tongue softly lick her lower lip, and with out thinking, she granted him access. She always knew Nathan was such a great kisser, but if possible, this kiss was even better.

When Nathan slid his arms around Haley's waist, her eyes snapped open. Reality finally hit her, and she pulled away, pushing Nathan off of her.

Nathan was shocked when Haley pushed him off of her. He had no idea what was going on. They were just in a heated make out session, and all of a sudden she started to freak out.

"You shouldn't have done that Nathan!" Haley scolded.

Nathan was still in his trance, to hear what Haley was saying.

"I wanted too." Nathan whispered softly.

Haley groaned. She promised herself she wouldn't fall back into Nathan's trap, but here she was, slowly losing her inhibitions.

Tears sprang into Haley's eyes, and she tried desperately to hold them back, but she couldn't.

"Look, Hales, can we please talk?" Nathan asked.

Haley shook her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "There's nothing to talk about Nathan."

"Are you kidding me?" Nathan shouted. "We just kissed!"

Haley gulped, "That kiss didn't mean anything!" She lied.

Nathan scoffed, "Look me in the eyes, and tell me that when I kissed you, you didn't feel the same spark we did five years ago."

Haley choked back a loud sob, and looked into Nathan's broken eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "But you can't just kiss me and expect that everything will be okay, because it's not!"

Nathan shook his head, and threw his hands in the air. "You know what Haley? I'm done!" Nathan shouted. "You didn't want me five years ago, and I guess you don't want me now. So I'm done fighting for something that will never work. I really don't know why you're so mad at me! You told me to leave, Haley! I did what you wanted me to do. So now, you don't even have to tell me, I'll just go." Nathan said and stormed off into the dark night, leaving a sobbing Haley on the sidewalk.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	6. Hate the Player, Not the Game

**So this chapter is kind of a filler. There's no Naley, but it's really important. Next chapter will focus on Nathan. I split the chapter, so that's why it's short. I didn't want to keep you waiting, so I just posted what I had. Hope you don't mind. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Haley woke up from hearing a loud, rapid knock at her door, and she groaned as she buried her face under her pillow.

"Tutor girl! Are you alive?" Brooke screamed as she knocked louder on Haley's door.

Haley moaned again, "Go Away!"

"Haley! Let me in!" Brooke pounded on the door.

"Brooke- it's-" Haley glanced at the clock, and saw the time on her clock read 12:23 pm. Her eyes widened instantly. She never slept this late before in her life. Haley usually was one who woke up at 7 am every single morning. "I'm sleeping." She mumbled.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "If you don't open this door right now, I'm going to push it down!" Brooke insisted.

If Haley's head didn't feel like an elephant was sitting on it, she wold have laughed. "Okay, I'm coming!" Haley shouted as she rolled out of bed. She glanced at herself in the mirror, and groaned again. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she was wearing an old Charlotte Bobcats sweatshirt, that Nathan gave her when she was 18. It was oversized but she didn't care because it was comfortable, and it reminded her of Nathan, and the night that he gave it to her; when they were all surrounded by the fire, and she sang in front of him for the first time. She almost smiled at the memory, but let out a loud groan when Brooke didn't stop knocking on the door.

"What do you want Brooke?" Haley mumbled bitterly.

"Good morning to you too, Tutor girl!" Brooke said sarcastically, as she pushed her way inside of Haley's apartment.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Sure, come on in." She said in the same tone of voice, and made her way back to her bedroom. Once she was inside, she jumped onto her bed and crawled back under the covers.

Brooke followed Haley into her room, and sat on her bed. "Hales, it's almost 12:30, why are you still in bed?"

Haley popped her head up from under the covers and frowned, "Sleeping helps heal the pain." She whined.

Brooke bit the inside of her cheek, "I'm really worried about you Haley James! You left the bar last night with out saying goodbye, and I called you 12 times this morning but you never picked up!"

"My phone was off." Haley mumbled.

"I thought you might have went home with Nathan." Brooke winked.

Haley let out a frustrated sigh, "No."

"Uh oh. Did something happen last night?" Brooke asked coyly.

Haley shook her head furiously, and hid back under the covers.

"Hales..." Brooke whined, and pushed Haley gently. "What happened?"

Haley responded with another groan, and Brooke literally ripped the covers off of her, creating Haley to curse.

"Nathan kissed me!" Haley shouted, and then brought both of her hands to cover her mouth.

Brooke jumped up and smiled widely, "Are you serious?"

Haley bit her lip, and sat up in her bed, as she brought one hand to her forehead. "First of all, please stop screaming. I have a massive hang over, and yes I'm serious."

"Are you sure it wasn't like a dream?" Brooke asked.

Haley felt the corners of her mouth slightly tug upwards, "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Oh, Hales! This is great!" Brooke cheered again.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Does it look like I'm great?" Haley bit out.

Brooke cocked her jaw to the side, "Right, sorry. Okay, so why is bitch being a Haley?"

Haley chuckled slightly, "Well he kissed me, and I let him..."

"Okay, usually kisses are a good thing, so where is this leading?" Brooke intervened.

"Well, I was drunk, so I wasn't thinking clearly, and when he kissed me, all of these emotions came flooding back to me." Haley explained slowly.

"Wait-" Brooke asked. "Was it a good kiss?"

Haley furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"Like, was there tongue?"

Haley couldn't help but laugh, "Um, yeah.. there was." She admitted shyly.

Brooke squealed, "Oh my gosh! This is so great! So on a scale of 1 to 10, how great was it?"

"11." Haley smiled nervously.

Brooke screamed again, and started to jump up and down. "So then why are you all like depressed?"

Haley rolled her eyes, "Because you're missing the point Brooke. I shouldn't have let that happened. I don't even know what I was thinking."

"Hales, this is great! Haven't you been wanting to kiss him? Why aren't you happy?"

"Because, are you forgetting what happened? He broke my heart! I can't let myself fall for him again. I'm finally moving on, and now last night he ruined everything!" Haley sighed.

"What do you mean?"

Haley ran a hand through her messy dirty blonde hair, "Because... because... last night, that kiss... it made me feel things that I haven't felt in five years!"

"What kind of things?" Brooke asked patiently.

"Those butterflies in my stomach, and my heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst, and my palms were all sweaty-"

"Sweetie, that's called being in love." Brooke advised.

Haley groaned, and buried her face back in her pillow.

"Did you kiss him back?" Brooke asked curiously.

Haley nodded, "Yeah... which really wasn't a good idea-"

"Why not?"

"Because I led him on, and now I feel bad."

Brooke bit her lip, "Well what happened after you kissed?"

Haley closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Well before we kissed, we were arguing, but I looked into his eyes, and they just brought so many memories back. The next thing I know, his lips were on mine, and I could literally feel myself getting lost in it. All I could think about was our first kiss, and how amazing it was. I wanted to feel like that again, so I kissed him back, and I just- it was- it felt right. You know? Like that's what I was supposed to be doing. So we were kissing, and I knew I would end up regretting it, but in that moment, I never felt more alive. It's like he woke something up in me." Haley took another deep breath, "It was one of the best kisses I've ever had." She admitted shyly. "It was so intense, and I could tell he was pouring all of his emotions in to it. He was always a good kisser, but I never remembered it feeling that intense." Haley blushed. "So when he put his arms around me, it's like I finally came back to reality. The moment he touched me, I felt all of those familiar sparks, and I opened my eyes, and pushed him off of me."

Brooke sat there with wide eyes, "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because I was so close to letting him back in, but I can't!" Haley sighed sadly.

Brooke sighed and stuck her tongue in the corner of her cheek, "Okay, I'm really confused. Weren't you the one who told him to leave five years ago?"

Haley nodded, "Yeah, and I know, it was the biggest mistake of my life- but there's more to it."

"What do you mean?"

Haley inhaled sharply, "Okay, the only person who knows about this is Peyton, because she was there with me."

"Haley! What the hell? What haven't you told me? I thought I was your best friend!" Brooke shouted.

"I know, you are, and I'm sorry I never told you, I just don't like talking about it." Haley explained softly.

"Okay, well what the hell happened?"

Haley popped herself up against her head board, and gulped.

"Okay, well, Peyton and I came home early, from California for Thanksgiving break, freshman year. I went to Stanford, and she went to UNC, so we decided to take the same flight home-"

"Wait, I don't remember this!" Brooke interupted.

Haley laughed slightly, "I know, you and Luke stayed in New York. Anyway, let me get back to the story..."

_"Are you ready for this?" Peyton asked her friend, as they landed in Durham, North Carolina airport._

_"Ready as I'll ever be." Haley breathed._

_Peyton pulled Haley in for a hug, as they went to grab their luggage from the conveyor belt. "So what's the plan?" Peyton asked._

_Haley grabbed her purple suitcase and wheeled it through the terminal as they walked to the exit, and waited patiently for a taxi._

_"Well I was just going to wing it-"_

_"Haley James, you can't just show up- after not seeing someone for two months, I might add- and just wing an 'I love you!'" Peyton advised._

_Haley bit her lip, "I know, I just don't know what to say. What if he doesn't remember me-?"_

_Peyton laughed, "I really don't think that's going to happen."_

_"Okay, but I'm still freaking out! Thank you again for coming with me."_

_"That's what friends are for right?" Peyton smiled._

_A few seconds later, a yellow taxi came pulling up along side the curb, and Peyton whistled loudly. The taxi came to a screeching halt, and the two girls climbed in. _

_"Where to, ladies?" The gruff, elderly driver asked._

_"Duke University, please." Haley stated nervously._

_After about a fifteen minute drive, they finally made it outside of Cameron Stadium, where the Duke Blue Devils would hold their first game of the season._

_"Are you here to watch the game?" The driver asked._

_Haley and Peyton both nodded, "Yeah, her boyfriend is the star player." Peyton responded._

_"You're dating Nathan Scott!?" The driver asked with a shocked expression on his face._

_Haley blushed, "Um, yeah kind of."_

_"Wow, well have fun, and good luck!" The driver said in a jovial voice._

_Haley smiled politely, and handed him the fare. "Thank you, have a nice night."_

_"You too." The driver said, and pulled away once Peyton and Haley were out._

_"Peyton!" Haley shrieked, "Why'd you tell him Nathan was my boyfriend?"_

_"Because technically you never broke up." Peyton smiled coyly._

_Haley bit her lip, "I guess your right. What if he moved on?" Haley asked sadly. The question was plaguing her mind all day. "I mean, he never even called. It's been two months-" _

_Peyton sighed, "Haley, you need to relax. We're going to watch him play, and then you're going to go up to him after the game, and tell him you love him, and everything is going to work out."_

_Haley smiled. "I hope you're right. But what happens after I tell him? How are we supposed to work?"_

_"You're Naley. I'm sure you'll find a way." Peyton smiled as she used the nick name that Brooke gave Nathan and Haley._

_"Thanks Peyt." Haley smiled and walked into the crowded stadium. Their seats were pretty high up, so it would be impossible for Nathan to spot them; which is what Haley wanted. She was going to surprise him after the game, so she wanted to make sure he had no idea._

_Nathan was in the locker room, starring into his gym locker and the other players patted him on the back as they walked by._

_"Yo, Scott. You ready?" One of his teammates, Devon Fox, asked._

_Nathan looked up, and smirked. "Ready as I'l ever be, I guess." Nathan said as he looked at the picture taped to his locker._

_"Who's the hot chick?" Devon asked, when he looked over at Nathan who seemed to be in deep thought._

_Nathan's head snapped up from the picture of a smiling Haley in his arms on the beach, and he smiled sadly. "The love of my life."_

_"Is she coming tonight?" Devon asked._

_Nathan shrugged. "Doubt it."_

_"Well, I'm sure she'll be watching from where ever she is, so play your heart out tonight. Make her proud." Devon advised, and slammed his locker shut, and jogged over to the team huddle._

_Nathan took a deep breath, as a wave of sadness hit him. His mind flashed back to the night when he and Haley were laying in the sand, talking about their futures. She said she would be at his first Duke game. She promised. Nathan scoffed. 'Why would she come? She's in Stanford, living her dream. She doesn't even love me.' Nathan thought bitterly. _

_He was forced out of his thoughts, when he heard his Coach call him. "Nathan, over here." Coach K shouted._

_Haley stood on her feet, and clapped loudly when the announcer called the names of the basketball players._

_"And Finally, Freshman, The newest starting player, number 23, Nathan Scott." The announcer called, and Nathan came sprinting out, with his infamous smirk. The stadium grew louder as soon as he ran on to the court._

_Haley had to grab Peyton's arm, in order to steady herself. She felt as though she would pass out any second. _

_"You okay?" Peyton whispered._

_Haley couldn't even speak, so she just nodded slowly. Her eyes were glues to Nathan's body. He was currently taking practice shots from the foul line, and god, he looked perfect doing it. She couldn't help but smile, as she watched him do what he loved._

_Haley's fists balled as she heard the conversation between two blonde girls, take place behind her._

_"Damn, he's hot!" _

_"Totally. I wonder if he's single."_

_"I heard that he was. Kelsey told me that she saw him hooking up with Victoria Green at the party last night."_

_"Oh my god, seriously?"_

_"Yeah!"_

_Peyton glanced over at Haley, who looked like she was about to cry. "Hey, don't listen to them. It's probably just a rumor." She whispered in Haley's ear._

_Haley bit her lip."I hope you're right."_

_Haley couldn't argue, that Nathan looked hot. He was in his white uniform, and his muscles bulged in all the right places. His body glistened with sweat, and his freshly buzzed cut hair, had Haley drooling. _

_Down on the court, Nathan took place around the Duke Blue Devils logo, in the center, and was prepared for tip off. The player for Duke, tapped the ball, and Nathan grabbed it. He dribbled the ball down the court, and passed it to a fellow team mate. Nathan then ran down the court, underneath the basket, and the ball was passed to him. He leaped through the air, and dunked the ball. Haley instantly jumped up, and screamed wildly. She knew Nathan was good, from whens he watched him play against Lucas on vacation, but she never saw him play in a legit game. "Yay Nathan!" She cheered, and clapped loudly. _

_Peyton looked over at Haley, and smiled. This was the first time in two months, that she looked truly happy. _

_The rest of the game carried on just like that. Nathan was on fire. He scored the most baskets, and carried the team to an astonishing victory. The last ten seconds, Haley was sitting on the edge of the seats with nerves. Part of her was nervous for Nathan, even though she knew they would win, she still couldn't help but freak out a little. Haley was mostly freaking out, because of what she was going to do after the game. The entire time, she just kept preparing her speech about what she would say to Nathan. She was planning on telling him how much she loved him, and that she wanted another chance, and she pictured her running into his arms, and giving him a long kiss._

_The final buzzer rang, causing Haley to stir from her thoughts, and she looked down at the court to see Nathan celebrating with his teammates._

_"You ready?" Peyton asked with a huge smile._

_Haley swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah."_

_"Okay, I'll meet you outside." Peyton said. "Good luck!"_

_Haley smiled, and gave a quick hug to her friend. "Thanks Peyton. I seriously owe you."_

_"Don't mention it. Now go get your man!"_

_Haley giggled, and made her way down to the court. She waited patiently, for Nathan to come out of the locker room, so she took a seat on a small bench. There was also a small group of girls wearing Nathan's jersey, waiting near Haley, holding pens. Groupies. Haley thought, and rolled her about two minutes of waiting, Nathan made his way out of the locker room. Haley looked up, and had butterflies in her stomach. He looked beyond sexy in his blue button up shirt, and navy striped tie. She wanted to run up to him and kiss him senselessly. She got up, and smiled, and slowly made her way over to him. She came to a screeching stop when she watched the scene play in front of her. Nathan didn't notice her because, a beautiful blonde girl, ran into his arms, and he spun her around, kissing her on the cheek. Haley felt like the world stopped. It felt like she was punched in the stomach a thousand times. She felt the bile burning through her esophagus, and tears instantly sprang to her eyes. She couldn't look anymore, so she just ran out of the gym doors, and let the tears stream down her face. _

_Peyton was waiting patiently under a street lamp, and turned around when she heard the doors opening._

_"Hales, what's wrong?" Peyton asked worriedly as she saw Haley running toward her with puffy red eyes._

_"He-he-he ha-has a-a-a g-irlf-riend." She stuttered._

_"A what?" Peyton asked, trying to decipher the words that Haley was blubbering._

_"A freaking girlfriend! He has a girlfriend!" Haley screamed. "I can't believe this!"_

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Brooke screamed.

Haley finished the story, and sniffled as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Neither could I." She laughed sadly.

Brooke suddenly felt like the room was spinning. "So then what happened?"

"I left." Haley said simply.

"Why!?" Brooke shouted.

"Because I was a mess. I cried the entire way back to Tree Hill, and then probably for another year." She joked.

"Are you sure it was his girlfriend? I mean you said he kissed her on the cheek- maybe it was a misunderstanding. I mean, I never remembered him telling me he had another girlfriend. In fact, he never had a girlfriend after you. He was in a depression for a really long time." Brooke said.

Haley sighed, "I don't know. They looked really happy, and it killed me." She said as another tear fell from her eye.

Brooke stood up. "This is impossible. It has to be a misunderstanding! Why didn't you ever tell me?" Brooke cried.

"It hurt too much to think about it, and I really didn't want you to confirm that he was dating someone." Haley admitted softly.

Brooke huffed. "This is crazy. I need to go."

"Where are you going?' Haley cried.

"To find Nathan, and kick his ass."

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry this is short. I wanted to update ASAP. I didn't have much time. **

**Thoughts?**


	7. Frenamies

**Sorry for the long wait! I'm really happy with the way this turned out, so I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for all the love. **

* * *

Nathan took a deep breath, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand in attempt the remove the beads of sweat that were dripping down his face. He walked over to the small picnic table near the court, and grabbed his water bottle. He quickly unscrewed the cap, and took a long hard sip. After drinking about half of the water, he placed the bottle back on the table, and picked up the aged basketball next to his feet. He ran back onto the concrete and dribbled the ball fiercely to the hoop. His legs pushed off the court and jumped through the air, as he grabbed the rim and dunked the ball through the net. The ball fell to the ground and bounced against the concrete, as Nathan let go of the net and landed back onto the ground. He turned around as he heard loud clapping, and he smiled softly.

"Nice shot, hot shot." Brooke called as she walked onto the River Court, where Nathan was standing shirtless holding the basketball.

Nathan playfully rolled his eyes, "What are you doing here Brooke?"

Brooke smiled coyly and walked over to the picnic table, and sat down. She gently patted the spot next to her, signalling she wanted Nathan to sit next to her. "I came to talk to you."

Nathan let out a loud groan. "Look if this is about Hales-"

Brooke grinned widely as she heard Nathan call Haley by her nickname. "No, it's not. Well sort of, but not really." She intervened.

"The whole reason I came to the river court was to get my mind off of her, and be alone. How'd you even know I was here?" Nathan asked.

"I stopped by your hotel room, but you weren't there. I figured you'd be here. You're just like your cousin." Brooke smirked. "Lucas always comes here when he's in a 'mood."

"I'm not in a mood." Nathan said incredulously.

Brooke laughed, "Right, and I'm not a girl." She joked sarcastically, causing Nathan to roll his eyes.

"Okay, so maybe I'm in a little bit of a mood. How'd you know?" Nathan asked as he took another sip of his water.

"Well I just went to see Haley, and she was in bed crying. Do you know anything about that?" Brooke asked as she looked over at Nathan.

Nathan put his head in his hands and sighed, "I didn't mean to make her cry. I was just doing what I thought she wanted." He explained. "and I thought we weren't going to talk about her!" Nathan scolded.

Brooke bit her lip, "Yeah, sorry, we won't. I actually had something else I needed to talk to you about."

Nathan chuckled lightly, "Okay, what is it?"

"Do you remember your first basketball game you played at Duke?" Brooke asked quietly.

Nathan furrowed his brows. Why was Brooke asking him this? "Yeah, of course I do. It was the best game I ever played." Nathan smiled. "Why are you asking me this?" He asked when he looked at Brooke.

"Do you remember what you did after the game?"

Nathan knit his eye brows closer together. "Yeah, I went to a party. Again, why do you care?"

"Nathan, be honest with me. Who was there, that night?"

Nathan looked at Brooke like she had twelve heads. "You're asking me who was at that party? How the hell would I even remember that? I was probably drunk-"

"No, I mean, did you like hook up with anyone that night?" Brooke asked.

Nathan frowned, "No. I didn't. You know I didn't. I wasn't with another girl until junior year-"

"Don't lie to me Nathan!" Brooke lightly scolded.

"I'm not lying!" Nathan said defensively. "I couldn't even look at another girl that year. I was still depressed about Haley. You know that. Why are you even asking me about this?"

Brooke huffed, she didn't want to hint around anymore so she cut right to the chase. "Who was the girl who hugged you after the game?"

Nathan scratched his head. Who was she talking about? "I don't know Brooke, a lot of girls hugged me!"

"No, the one who ran into your arms- the blonde one."

Nathan racked his brain, for memories of that night, and his mind went straight through a vivid flashback:

_Nathan stepped out of the showers, and changed into his pre-game clothes. A light blue button up shirt, and a pair of khakis. Once he finished changing, he walked back to his locker and grabbed his belongings. He felt a light tap on his back and turned around. _

_"Great game, Scott! That hot chick in your picture is definitely proud." Devon Fox said as he opened his locker._

_Nathan's smile fell. "She probably doesn't even know I played tonight,"_

_"Who knows, maybe she showed up. The crowd's pretty big." Devon advised._

_Nathan shrugged, "Nah, I doubt it. She's probably in California."_

_"Maybe she watched on TV?" Devon asked lightly._

_Nathan smiled at his friend who was desperately trying to help him, "I love her man, but she doesn't love me, so trust me- she didn't watch."_

_Devon frowned, "I'm sorry man. That sucks. But hey- we just won our first game of the season, so let's go out and celebrate! You better not be depressed all night. Go out and have fun, meet new girls!" Devon smirked._

_Nathan chuckled, "Alright man, we'll see."_

_The rest of the team congratulated Nathan, and the team's big win. Nathan was happy, but he knew he should've been happier. But the truth was that all he could think about was Haley and how he wished she was here to celebrate with him. His heart continued to ache as he thought about her, and he walked out of the locker room. In order to celebrate, he was going to need a ton of alcohol. Nathan felt his heart stop as he noticed in the corner of his eye a girl sitting on a bench who looked exactly like Haley. He mentally scolded himself. He had been doing that a lot lately. One day he was eating in a restaurant with a group of friends, and he saw a girl sitting with his back to him, who had long honey blonde hair, and he swore it was Haley. So he got up, and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. His heart sunk in his chest when the girl turned around. It wasn't Haley. Another time, he was in a library, and a girl dropped a book, so she bent down to pick it up. Her wavy blonde hair fell in front of her face, and Nathan once again thought it was Haley. As he got closer, he realized it wasn't her, so he left. He knew his mind was just playing tricks on him, so he wasn't even going to bother to look over at the girl who was sitting on the bench. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't because all of a sudden he felt a girl running into his arms._

_When Nathan saw who it was, he couldn't help but smile. "Ally!" He laughed, and picked her up in his arms. "What are you doing here?"_

_The blonde girl hugged Nathan tightly and pressed a light kiss on his cheek. "I came to visit you silly!"_

_"Did you watch me play?"_

_"Yup! You were awesome!" Ally praised him. _

_"Is Josh here too?" Nathan asked as he searched the crowd. In the corner of his eye he saw the girl who resembled Haley leaving the gym. _

_"You bet your ass I am!" Josh joked as he lightly punched Nathan in the arm. _

_Nathan let go of Ally, and pulled Josh in for a quick man hug. _

_"You killed it out there!" Josh cheered._

_Nathan smirked, "I know."_

_"Cocky son of a bitch!" Josh joked. "How are you man?"_

_"I'm good. I can't believe you guys are actually here! I thought you'd still be at the University of North Carolina."_

_"Nah, classes let out early. Ally and I decided to surprise you." Josh smiled._

_"Well I'm definitely surprised." Nathan stated._

_"So any cool Duke parties tonight?" Ally asked._

_"Still a wild partier, huh?" Nathan joked._

_"You know it!" Ally cheered happily._

_Josh laughed, and pulled Ally in for a sweet kiss._

_"You guys are gross!" Nathan wined. _

_"You're just jealous." Josh smirked._

_Nathan's smile fell, and Ally placed her hand on Nathan's arm. "How's it going buddy?"_

_Nathan shrugged, "I still never heard from her."_

_Josh realized his mistake, and frowned, "Hey, man. I'm sorry, I totally forgot."_

_"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Nathan shrugged._

_Ally bit her lip, "I was hoping that you'd tell me you got back together. I really wanted to meet her. Any girl who put up with your ass for an entire summer, must be a saint." She joked._

_Nathan smiled, "Yeah, she was amazing. I wish you could've met her too. You would've loved her." _

_"I still can't believe that you fell in love." Josh smiled. "I never thought I'd see the day. What happened to you man?" Josh joked, "You pretty much slept with every girl in Charlotte and you always made fun of me and Ally. You go away for a summer and you turn to mush."_

_Nathan smiled, "What can I say? Haley was special."_

_Ally clapped her hands excitedly. Ally always reminded Nathan of Brooke. They were basically the same person, but Ally was blonde. He knew that if his best friends Ally and Josh, met Lucas and Brooke, they would all hit it off. Josh Sanders and Nathan were practically brothers. They grew up together. Josh lived next door to Nathan, and they were on little league basketball together, and instantly hit it off. They were inseparable. In high school, they both went to a prestigious prep school, with their other friend Ally Woodbury. She also lived close to Nathan and Josh, and became good friends with them in elementary school. Nathan and Josh instantly gained the popular jock title for being the two best basketball players in the school, and Ally became the pretty cheerleader. At first, Nathan and Josh both thought Ally was hot. Everyone did. She was one of the prettiest and most popular girl in the school. Nathan and Josh fought over her, but Nathan knew he would only sleep with her, where as Josh actually wanted to date her. Nathan was considered the bad boy of the school, who used girls. Josh actually liked relationships, and he wasn't as much of a player as Nathan was. In high school, Josh instantly became smitten over Ally, and the two of them fell in love. Where as, in elementary school, the three of them were considered the 'three amigos'. Ally was more of a tom boy in elementary school, so neither boy liked her like that. Ally lost touch with them in middle school because she hung out with more of her girlfriends, but when they went to high school, they reconnected. Josh and Ally dated all through high school, and Ally became like a sister to Nathan. The three of them ruled the school. At times, Nathan would feel left out because Ally and Josh were so in love, and he would never openly admit it, but he was jealous of their relationship. Nathan just continued to use girls through high school, and had flings. The closest thing he had to a relationship was a friends with benefits kind-of thing with a girl named Ashley for a while. _

_"Where's my favorite niece?" Nathan suddenly asked._

_Ally smiled, "She's with my parents. There was no way I would be able to bring her to a crazy college party."_

_Nathan laughed, "Yeah good idea. I still can't believe she's almost one!"_

_"I know! It's crazy!" Ally said referring to her and Josh's daughter, Annabelle. She got pregnant during Senior Year, and Josh soon popped the question, and they had a small wedding a few months later. Josh was originally going to propose at prom, but decided to do it earlier once he found out that she was pregnant. _

_"I miss her. I can't wait to see her." Nathan smiled._

_"She got so big. She's beautiful. She looks just like her mom." Josh smiled as he looked at Ally._

_Nathan laughed at his two best friends, but on the inside his heart was still aching. It just reminded him of how much he missed Haley. _

Nathan came back to reality, and laughed.

"You mean Ally?" He asked Brooke.

"Yeah. Was that the hoe you used to get over Haley? I can't believe you lied to me! Here I was thinking you were actually in love with Haley, but two months later you jump in bed with the next slut that you see-"

Nathan kept laughing as he heard Brooke ramble.

"You think this is funny Nathan? How about if I told you that Haley was there that night? Would you laugh then?" Brooke chastised him.

Nathan instantly stopped laughing. Was it true? Was Haley really there that night?

"Wait- Brooke. Are you serious? Haley was there that night?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah jack ass! She saw you and that slut Sally hugging, and ran away."

Nathan felt the breath in his throat hitch. Haley was there. He couldn't believe it. He wanted to smile, laugh, cry, and punch something all at the same time.

_That must mean- oh my god. She was the girl sitting on the bench. That's why she ran away. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. _Nathan thought.

"Shit." Nathan muttered out loud.

"Yeah! 'shit' is right! Haley went to your game that night to tell you that she loved you, and she saw you all over that girl. You're a real idiot, do you know that?" Brooke scolded.

Nathan banged his fist against his forehead. "Yeah, I know Brooke. I know. I'm a screw up and an idiot."

"So was she worth it?"

"What?" Nathan asked.

"The girl, Sally-"

"Ally." Nathan corrected.

"Yeah- her. Was she worth all of this pain and heart break?"'

Nathan laughed sardonically. "Ally is my best friend. Not my girlfriend. She and her husband- my other best friend- came and surprised me that night. I can't believe Haley thought I was dating her!"

Brooke's jaw dropped open. "Wait are you serious?"

"Yeah! I had no idea they were coming and Ally is practically my sister, and she ran into my arms and kissed my cheek."

Brooke laughed at how ridiculous the situation was. "Haley thought you guys were dating."

Nathan almost gagged, "Ew, no way. She married to my best friend!" He groaned, "I can't believe she was there that night! I thought I saw her but then I figured my mind was playing tricks on me, so I didn't do anything about it." Nathan smiled lightly, "She was there! She kept her promise! She watched me play!"

"Yeah, and she was going to tell you how she loved you." Brooke stated softly.

Nathan sighed, "I don't even know what I would've done."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked.

"I mean, I was really upset about it. I would've been mad at her. She was two months too late." Nathan sighed.

"So if she told you she loved you, you would be mad?"

Nathan shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know what I would've done. I just can't believe this right now."

"Well how do you feel about her?"

Nathan inhaled deeply, "I don't even know anymore. She changed, and so did I. She's not the same person I fell in love with. I'm just going to give up."

Brooke punched Nathan in the arm, and he rubbed it. "Ow! Why'd you do that?"

"Because you can't give up!"

"Brooke, I'm done trying. She made it clear she doesn't want me, so I'm not going to fight for it. I'm not in the mood to get my heart broken again." Nathan slumped dejectively.

"So what? Are you mad at her or something?"

Nathan shrugged, 'I don't know how I feel about her. I just know that after the wedding, I'm going back to Charlotte and I'm moving on. I've had some stupid unrealistic idea in my head for five years, and it's time to move on."

"I think you just need to talk to her, and clear up the whole thing about Ally. That's why she was upset. She thought you moved on." Brooke advised.

"Even if I did move on, it doesn't matter! She told me to leave!"

"You should've called her or something!"

"Whose side are you on?" Nathan spat.

"Neither. I'm just trying to get you both to realize that you're made for each other."

"It's never going to work, Brooke. Even after I tell her about Ally, it's too late. Nothing matters anymore."

"So just start fresh!" Brooke suggested.

"It's not that easy. I'm still hurt, and I guess she is too."

Brooke let out a loud whine. "You have so many issues."

Nathan laughed, "I know."

"Just promise me you'll talk to her, and at least clear the air. I don't want drama at my wedding please." Brooke begged.

Nathan smiled, "Okay. I promise."

* * *

Nathan sunk into the leather couch in his hotel room, and cracked open a can of beer. He flipped the channel on the tv to an old basketball game, and took a swig of his beer. A few minutes later, he heard a quiet knock on his door. He glanced at the clock that read 9:23 pm. He didn't order room service, so he had no idea who it would be. He placed his can of beer on the end table, and got up to answer the door. His heart stopped when he opened it. There on the other side, stood Haley in a simple pair of jean shorts, and a plaid shirt, looking beautiful as ever.

"Haley? What are you doing here?" Nathan asked trying to hide to shock in his voice.

"I um- wanted to talk to you." She said shyly.

Nathan gulped. This can't be good. "Oh um, okay. You can come in, I guess." He said opening the door a little wider, letting her walk in.

Haley tried to look everywhere other then Nathan. He was only wearing blue, Nike basketball shorts, and a trace of his black and red boxers were revealed at the top. She gulped as she quickly checked him out. Her body temperature increased ten fold, and a large lump formed in the back of her throat. He was incredibly sexy, and she had to fight the urge to kiss jump right there.

Nathan knew Haley was checking him out, and he couldn't help but let his ego swell. Knowing that Haley still found him attractive, was a huge turn on.

After about two minutes of awkward silence, Nathan decided to speak up.

"I'm sorry for kissing you last night. I know I shouldn't have. It wasn't right, and I know that it didn't mean anything." Nathan said meekly, hoping that she believed his lie.

Haley felt her heart drop. Even though she told him that the kiss didn't mean anything, in her heart it meant everything. Hearing him say that, made her want to cry. "Oh, um, it's fine." She said quietly.

"No it's not. I feel really bad. I'm sure your boyfriend is going to kill me." Nathan sighed.

Haley couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "Don't worry. I don't have a boyfriend."

Nathan inwardly cheered, but quickly chastised himself. _No not good. I need to get over her. It's so hard when she's standing here, in my hotel room. where my bed is three feet away, and she's looking so beautiful_. Nathan thought.

"Unless you have a girlfriend, who might want to kill me." Haley joked lightly.

Nathan cracked a smirk. "Nah, I don't have one."

Haley smiled wider. She couldn't contain herself. He's single!

"So um what did you want to talk about?" Nathan asked.

"Oh." Haley bit her lip, "I um, wanted to ask you something, but you don't have to agree, it's just an idea, so don't feel like you have to say yes-" She rambled.

Nathan smiled, as he listened to her ramble. She was completely adorable.

"Hales, you're rambling."

Haley blushed profusely. "Right. Sorry. So, um, I was wondering, if, maybe we can be friends. You know, just put the past behind us, and start fresh. For Brooke and Lucas's sake, I don't want a repeat of what happened last night at the bar to happen at the wedding. Plus we're going to be in the Bridal Party together, so it would be easier if we were friends." Haley smiled hopefully.

Nathan sighed. There was no way in hell he could be just friends with Haley. It was truly impossible. He knew it wouldn't work, but he didn't want to fight with her.

"Okay." He said simply, and smiled slightly.

Haley's mouth broke out into a wide smile. "Thank you!" She said and ran to give him a hug.

Nathan was a bit taken back by her rash movement, but he wasn't going to complain. He hugged her back, a little to long.

While hugging, they both thought the same exact thing. "This 'friendship' is going to blow up in our faces."

* * *

**thoughts?**


	8. Somebody Like You

**This chapter starts out as a flashback on the second night of the vacation. Nathan and Haley aren't together yet, I know it can be confusing, so I hope that clears things up a bit. Also, the flashback that Haley has is the one when she and Nathan sneak off, (discussed in the first flashback) So even though it's the second flashback it really takes place before the first one. Sorry, it's confusing but I hope you like it. Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Where the hell have you been?" Lucas asked as he looked up from his book as his cousin came walking through the door._

_"Oh, I was um, out with a friend." Nathan replied quickly._

_Lucas laughed, and placed his book down on the table next to the couch. "Does this friend have a name?"_

_"Nope." Nathan replied as he walked into the small kitchen, trying to avoid Lucas's questions. Lucas however, wanted to know why his cousin didn't get home until 1 am, and followed Nathan into the kitchen where Nathan was standing in front of the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water._

_"So I'm guessing you met someone new?" Lucas asked from the doorway._

_Nathan looked over at Lucas, and rolled his eyes. "Why do you care?"_

_"Because you were complaining the entire way here, and now you're all happy. What's up dude?"_

_Nathan shrugged and took a sip of water, "Nothing, I just got to know someone that will make this vacation a lot less sucky."_

_Lucas smirked, "That's good to hear." He had an idea of who the person was but he didn't want to come right out and say it because he knew Nathan would get all defensive. "So where were you though?"_

_Earlier in the night, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Nathan, Haley, and Jake all went to a party on the beach a few miles from their beach houses, and at one point Nathan had split off from the group and disappeared. _

_"I went for a walk along the beach, and I got lost." Nathan explained._

_"Yeah, but who were you with?" Lucas pressed._

_Nathan let out a long sigh. "The girl I met."_

_"So she's a girl?" Lucas smiled._

_Nathan rolled his eyes, "Yeah she's a girl."_

_"So why didn't you bring her back and have one of your one night stands?" Lucas joked._

_"Because she's not like that." Nathan shrugged._

_"Either that or she's ugly." Lucas laughed._

_Nathan smiled, "No, she's definitely not ugly. She's actually really pretty."_

_"So do you like her?" Lucas asked._

_Nathan tried his hardest not to smile, "I think I do. She's really great. We talked for hours, and I got to know her."_

_"That's cool, so are you going to see her again?" Lucas asked intrigued._

_"I hope so." Nathan smiled._

_"You should ask her out." Lucas advised._

_Nathan almost chuckled, "Yeah, I might."_

_"So when can we meet her?"_

_"Um... I don't know." Nathan lied._

_Lucas laughed, "You're so weird."_

_"Whatever." Nathan smirked as he walked out of the kitchen and back in the living room, with Lucas hot on his heels._

_"So have you seen Haley tonight?" _

_Nathan stopped dead in his tracks, and his face turned white. "Uh, no." Nathan cleared his throat. "I haven't seen her." Nathan lied again._

_"Oh okay, because she left right around the time you did." Lucas explained._

_Nathan bit the inside of his cheek, and gulped. "That's weird. Maybe she was with Jake and Peyton?"_

_Lucas nodded, "Yeah, probably. Brooke and I should have stayed with her more but we kind of got wrapped up in our own little world." He said shyly._

_"Um ew. I didn't need to know that!" Nathan said covering his ears._

_Lucas laughed but stopped when he heard his cell phone ringing in his back pocket. "Oh it's Brooke, hold on." Lucas excused himself._

_"Hello?" He answered._

_"Hey Broody, I just wanted to let you know that Haley just came home."_

_Lucas furrowed his eye brows together. "That's weird. Nathan just came home too." He whispered into the earpiece so Nathan couldn't hear him._

_"Do you think..." Brooke started._

_"I don't know. Maybe. Try to figure it out what you can. Nathan just told me he went for a walk and got lost."_

_"Okay, I'll ask Haley about it, and I'll text you." Brooke whispered._

_"Okay good thanks. I love you pretty girl."_

_"Love you too, bye."_

_"Bye." Lucas said and quickly hung up the phone._

* * *

_Brooke hung up the phone with Lucas and starred at Haley._

_"What?" Haley asked self consciously._

_"Who were you with?" Brooke asked._

_Haley bit her lip, "I.. um... met someone."_

_"Oh my god!" Brooke shrieked. "A guy?"_

_Haley blushed, "Yeah."_

_"So what happened?"_

_Haley shrugged, "I went to get a drink, and I turned around and my drink spilled all over him-"_

_"Was he hot?" Brooke asked eagerly._

_Haley giggled, "Insanely hot."_

_Brooke clapped, "Okay, go on."_

_"So I apologized and he was really sweet about it, and he bought me a new drink. Then we went on a really long walk, but we got lost-"_

_Brooke smirked. She knew it. "Oh really? You got lost?"_

_Haley furrowed her brows, "Yeah, why?"_

_"Oh just wanted to make sure I heard you right." She smirked and quickly pulled out her cell phone to shoot Lucas a quick text._

_"She said she got lost too... Hmm..."_

_Haley laughed at Brooke. "Okay, so yeah, we got lost, and I got to know him and he's really sweet."_

_"Hmm I see. What's his name?" Brooke asked as she read the newest text message from Lucas: "Seems suspicious. They were definitely together..."_

_Haley gulped, "His- his name?" She stuttered._

_Brooke laughed, "Yeah. You know his name right?"_

_"Right um yeah. I'm going to tell you but please don't freak out." Haley pleaded._

_Brooke rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh don't worry I won't. I already know it's Nathan."_

_Haley's jaw dropped open, and her eyes widened. "How did you- how? What?"_

_"Oh hunny, I know everything." Brooke smirked. _

_Haley blushed, and bit her lip. "I-I-I..." She stuttered._

_"Don't worry. I called it. I think you guys would be cute together."_

_Haley blushed, "Really?"_

_"Yeah. So did he kiss you or anything?" Brooke asked._

_"No." Haley blushed, 'We just talked. It was really nice. He's so funny and really sweet."_

_"Are you sure we're talking about Nathan Scott?" Brooke joked._

_Haley rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about. Nathan's really sweet."_

_"He is. So do you like him?" Brooke asked._

_Haley bit harder on her lip, "I don't know, I mean he's cute, actually more like hottest guy I've ever seen,- he's funny, compassionate-"_

_"So what's not to like?" Brooke asked._

_Haley shrugged, "I guess I just don't want to start a relationship. I'm afraid of falling hard, because I know I will. We're going to different colleges. Long distance would never even work-"_

_"So then why can't you have just a summer fling?" Brooke asked._

_"It starts off as a fling, but then someone- most likely me- will fall in love, and then I'd get my heart broken. No thanks." Haley stated._

_"But you like him right?" Brooke asked._

_"Yeah I do, but I'd be fine just hanging out with him, and occasionally flirting." Haley chuckled._

_Brooke laughed, "I think you should just go for it. Take a risk, Hales. I think it'll be worth it. I mean think about it: You being Nathan Scott's girlfriend. Even if it's for a little while."_

_Haley blushed, but smiled widely, "You're right. I guess we'll see what happens. I mean he never even asked me out."_

_"...Yet." Brooke smirked._

_Haley giggled, "I don't want to get my hopes up. He probably won't."_

_"Why would you think that?"_

_Haley shrugged, "I don't know. He doesn't seem like the relationship kind." She said sadly._

_Brooke frowned, "it's okay, I'm sure everything will work out!"_

_Haley smiled, "Yeah. Right now it's just fun getting to know him."_

_Brooke smiled coyly and texted Lucas one last time, _

* * *

_Lucas and Nathan were watching an old NBA game, when suddenly Lucas felt his phone vibrate. He smiled when he read it, "She just admitted it was Nathan. BOOYAH!" _

_"What are you smiling about?" Nathan asked suspiciously from his end of the couch._

_Lucas smiled, "Brooke just texted me."_

_"You guys are sick." Nathan said in disgust._

_"Actually it's about Haley."_

_Nathan felt his heart start to beat faster. "What about her?" He asked trying to hide his eagerness._

_"Apparently she met some guy tonight." Lucas smirked._

_Nathan gulped, "Oh, really?" He asked trying to be covert._

_Lucas nodded, "Yep."_

_"What did the text say?" Nathan asked with wide eyes._

_Lucas laughed, "Why do you care so much?"_

_"I don't!" Nathan snapped._

_"Calm down, I was joking." Lucas defended himself._

_"Oh." Nathan shrugged. _

_"Yeah so apparently Haley really likes this guy." Lucas smiled._

_Nathan felt his heart rate speed up. "Really?" He asked a little too happily._

_Lucas squinted his eyes, "Yeah. I thought you'd be jealous. It seemed like you had a thing for her at the beach yesterday."_

_Nathan gulped, "Oh no, I'm happy for her. She deserves a good guy to treat her right,"_

_"Yeah well I heard the guy was an ass." Lucas tested._

_Nathan's eyes widened. "What? Who told you that?"_

_Lucas bit his tongue to try and keep himself from laughing. "Because I know him."_

_Nathan became confused. Haley was with him the entire night. Who was the guy she liked? Was she with someone before him?_

_"Well who is he?" Nathan asked._

_Lucas snickered, "You should know."_

_"What?"_

_"It's you, idiot!"_

_Nathan was baffled, "What?" He choked out._

_Lucas playfully rolled his eyes, "I know you were with her Nate, you don't need to lie."_

_"I swear, we were just hanging out! We didn't even do anything!" Nathan quickly defended._

_Lucas smiled, "Hey, it's cool, you don't have to lie. Why didn't you just tell me it was Haley in the first place?"_

_Nathan felt his cheeks get warm. Was he actually blushing? Nathan Scott does not blush. "I don't know." He shrugged, "I guess I was worried you'd be mad or something."_

_"Mad? Nah I'm not mad. But don't make me mad." Lucas joked._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Don't screw with Hales, she's my best friend." Lucas warned._

_Nathan smiled, "I know. I would never do anything to hurt her."_

_"Good. I'm happy for you. Haley's a great girl." Lucas smiled._

_Nathan nodded, "She is."_

* * *

"So you agreed to be friends?" Lucas asked his cousin who was sitting opposite from him at Karen's Cafe.

Nathan nodded and took a bite of his sandwich. "Yeah, it was so weird. She just came to my hotel room and asked to be friends. I thought she hated me!"

Lucas laughed, "I doubt she ever hated you man."

Nathan shrugged. "When I saw bumped into her at the food store, she definitely looked like she hated me. Plus, Brooke told me how she thought I had a girlfriend the first year at Duke."

"Why would she think that?" Lucas asked.

"She was there that night."

"What, are you serious?" Lucas cried as he almost choked on his water.

"Yeah, I didn't even know! My friends from high school also were there that night, and one one them happened to be a girl, and Haley must have seen her hugging me and so she left."

"Wow that sucks!" Lucas blew out.

"I know. I feel horrible now. I kept thinking about it last night. What if I saw her, you know? What if she told me she loved me? Do you think we could've worked it out? Maybe we would still be together!" Nathan marveled.

Lucas sighed, "I don't know. You can't think about the 'What if's' though, it's done, so don't even think about it anymore. You can't change anything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So what are you going to do?" Lucas asked.

"Well I know what I want to do, but I also know what I have to do." Nathan replied.

"And what's that?"

Nathan took a deep breath and looked at his cousin. "I want to be more than friends, but I know that I have to pretend to be friends until the wedding, then I'm heading back to Charlotte to start a new chapter in my life."

"Wow." Lucas said surprised. "What do you mean by a new chapter?"

"I want to settle down. I want to meet 'the one', I'm tired of random hook ups."

Lucas smiled, "I never thought I'd see the day. Are you serious? Like you actually believe in 'the one'?"

Nathan shrugged, "I guess so. I mean, I'd never actually tell anyone that. You know it's all a part of my bad boy image, but I'm getting tired of that."

"I'm really proud of you, but are you sure you want to give up on Haley?"

Nathan nodded, "I don't want to, but I need to. I think I need to find someone like her."

Lucas snickered, 'Good luck with that."

Nathan rolled his eyes, '"Yeah, I know. Haley's one of a kind, but I don't think I'd be happy with just anyone. I know what I want, and I want someone like her."

"Someone like her, or actually her?" Lucas countered.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I don't know, but I do know that I won't be able to ever love someone as much as I loved Haley."

"Loved?" Lucas joked.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You're a pain in my ass."

"Whatever, so Brooke wanted me to ask you if you can come for dinner tomorrow night?" Lucas asked.

Nathan nodded, "Okay, that sounds good."

* * *

_"I'm going to get a drink, I'm really thirsty." Haley excused herself from the small group, and walked toward the beach bar. The truth was, she was starting to feel like the fifth wheel. Peyton and Jake were playing volleyball together, and Brooke and Lucas were making out the entire night. Nathan said he was going to the bathroom, but he left twenty minutes ago, and never came back. He probably went back to his room, which Haley was tempted to do because the party completely sucked. The people who worked at the beach were throwing a huge Start of Summer Barbecue, but it was completely lame. Haley and her friends were the only teenagers there. Mostly there were a bunch of elderly people, or families with little kids. The oldest kids were about 15 and there was no way they would hang out with them. _

_Haley took a deep breath, and ordered herself a glass of punch. Considering this was a family place, and there were hardly any teenagers, she knew it probably wasn't spiked. As soon as she turned around, she collided with a muscular body, and spilled her drink all over the guy's white collared shirt._

_"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Haley cried. "I'm such a klutz!"_

_Nathan was about to scream at whoever spilled a red drink all over his new white shirt, but instantly calmed down when he saw who it was. He became a loss for words when he looked into her beautiful brown eyes._

_Haley looked up and felt her heart about to leap through her chest. She looked into a familiar pair of crystal blues eyes, and her stomach danced with butterflies. "N-Nathan." She stuttered._

_Nathan smirked, "Hi Haley."_

_"I'm sorry I spilled my drink on you. Do you hate me now?" Haley asked with a small pout forming on her lips._

_Nathan chuckled, "Nah, it's okay. You're actually my new best friend, because now you gave me an excuse to ditch this snooze fest." He joked._

_Haley giggled, "Yeah, it is pretty boring. Brooke and Lucas were just sucking each other's face off, so I went to get a drink and now I spilled this, and I'm rambling, and I'm so sorry!"_

_Nathan laughed. She was truly adorable. "It's cool. I should have remembered I can't trust you around drinks." Nathan joked referring to when they were at the beach yesterday and he tossed her a can of lemonade, but she dropped it. "Seriously though, I'm sorry for bumping into you. Do you want another drink? I can buy it for you." Nathan said seriously._

_"Oh no it's okay." Haley declined sweetly. "Thanks though."_

_"No seriously, I can get you a new drink. I want to."_

_Haley bit her lip, "If you want to, then okay."_

_"What were you drinking?" Nathan asked._

_"Punch."_

_Nathan snickered, "You're cute."_

_Haley felt her cheeks burn with fire._

_"I mean, uh, it's cute how you got fruit punch. Are you sure you don't want like a beer or something? I can use my fake ID." Nathan clarified._

_Haley laughed, "No thanks, I don't drink."_

_Nathan shrugged, "Okay." If anyone else said that, he would have looked at them like they were crazy, but considering it was Haley, it made him like her more. She didn't drink to 'fit in' and she didn't do things to please anyone. It was a different quality he was used to seeing, but he really liked it._

_Nathan bought her another punch and handed it to her carefully._

_"Thank you so much." Haley smiled._

_"No problem." Nathan smiled back. "So do you want to get out of here?"_

_Haley laughed lightly, "Yeah, where were you going?"_

_Nathan shrugged, "I was going to go back to my room, but it's a nice night, so we should go for a walk." He suggested._

_"Okay." Haley agreed, and followed Nathan as he led her to the edge of the water._

_"So thanks for ditching the party with me." Nathan smiled as they descended further away from the barbecue. _

_Haley giggled, "Oh it's fine. You're a lot more fun to hang out with." _

_Nathan smiled genuinely. "I can say the same about you."_

_Haley blushed lightly, "So how are you and Lucas related, and why have I never met you before this vacation?"_

_"Our dads are brothers, and when Luke and I were little we used to pretend we were brothers."_

_Haley smiled, "That's cute."_

_Nathan laughed, "Well yeah, I'm clearly the cuter cousin."_

_Haley giggled girlishly, "I'm going to have to agree with you on that."_

_Nathan smirked, "Thanks." He felt a rush of pride run through his veins. Hundreds of girls told him he was hot, but none of them were ever Haley James. "So are those guys from yesterday still bothering you?" Nathan asked. "Because I can beat them up for you if you want."_

_Haley smiled, and her heart swelled in her chest. "I haven't seen them thank god, but if they bother me I'll let you know."_

_"Okay good. That one guy was so creepy. He had no right to touch you like that!"_

_Haley laughed, "I know, and he saw you near me, I'm surprised he didn't assume we were dating!"_

_"Yeah, what if I was your boyfriend? Either way, he shouldn't have done it." Nathan said angrily._

_"Well thanks for sticking up for me." Haley said sweetly._

_"Sure, no problem."_

_"So what made you come here for the summer?" Haley asked._

_Nathan shrugged, "Well Lucas and I originally planned on going to Miami, but I guess since you and Brooke asked him to come here, he decided to drag me along." He smirked._

_"Oh, I'm sorry. I know you probably would have enjoyed Miami a lot better, but I love it here. I usually go with my family for a week every summer, but Brooke and I decided to spend the entire summer out here, and obviously she had to bring Luke,"_

_Nathan smiled, "It's okay, I'm starting to like it here too."_

_Haley blushed slightly. "That's good."_

_"So where is your family?" Nathan asked. "Lucas said something about your parents staying in your beach house?"_

_"Oh yeah, they'll probably come up in July for a week or two. Luckily they let us rent out the house. I know now why they did. There aren't any fun parties or kids are age for miles." Haley joked. "And I'm sorry we all couldn't share one house, but my parents would have freaked out, and plus there isn't enough space."_

_"It's okay, I understand. If I ever have a daughter I'm going to be very protective of her." Nathan said seriously._

_"Really?" Haley asked in a high voice._

_"Yeah. Guys can be real ass holes. I wouldn't want my daughter to be treated badly."_

_Haley's heart melted, "Do you want kids?"_

_Nathan shrugged, "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. The only kids I've ever really known is Lucas's little sister, Lilly. She's practically my little sister. I love her more than anything."_

_Haley giggled, '" feel bad for her. Between you and Lucas, she's never going to have a boyfriend."_

_"Good, I hope it stays that way." Nathan said smugly, causing Haley to laugh. "So what about you? You want to be a teacher, so I'm assuming you like kids?" Nathan asked._

_Haley smiled at the fact he remembered their conversation from yesterday and that she wanted to be a teacher._

_"Yeah I do love kids. I used to babysit a lot, and in high school I was a tutor, hence the name tutor girl, and I just love teaching people and seeing their face when they finally understand something." Haley gushed._

_Nathan watched her face as the moonlight reflected off of it, and he smiled. She had such a passion for what she was speaking about, and he really admired her for it._

_"I bet you're going to be a great teacher one day." He said sincerely._

_Haley smiled, "Thank you."_

_"I wish you could have tutored me. I was so dumb."_

_Haley looked at Nathan and frowned. "You're not dumb Nathan."_

_Nathan shrugged, "I was a C student, and I never applied myself. I needed someone like you to keep me in line." He smirked._

_Haley giggled, "Yeah well I was a loser in high school so I bet you wouldn't have talked to me if we weren't on vacation together." Haley said sadly._

_Nathan stopped walking and grabbed Haley's hand, both of them felt a tingling sensation shooting through their arms, but chose to ignore it. "Haley, of course I would have talked to you. In fact, I wish we could have met sooner. I'm jealous Lucas got to know you his whole life. You're really fun to hang out with, and I'm glad we met." He said kindly._

_Haley felt her heart about to jump through her chest, and she felt giddy inside. "I'm glad we met too." She said in a whisper._

_Nathan smiled and pulled her in for a hug. They stood there wrapped in each other's arms until they heard a whistle from a security guard._

_"You're not supposed to me here. It's private property, so you two need to break up this little love fest and move somewhere else." The guard explained._

_Haley blushed and Nathan cleared his throat. "Really where's the sign that says it?" He countered._

_Haley bit her lip, "Nathan!" She scolded lightly. "Let's just go. Sorry sir, have a good night." Haley rushed out, and ran away from him._

_Nathan laughed and chased after Haley. "Hey, wait up!" He called._

_"Nathan we could have been arrested!" Haley said in a short breath._

_Nathan rolled his eyes, "Haley it's fine. You need to live on the edge."_

_Haley smiled softly, "That guy was scary."_

_Nathan chuckled, "Tell me about it."_

_"Where are we anyway?" She asked._

_"I have no clue." Nathan replied with a humorous tone._

_"Nathan Scott, you're going to be the death of me." Haley joked and lightly punched his arm._

* * *

"So why did you just randomly decide to be friends?" Brooke asked.

Haley shrugged, "I don't know. I'm tired of holding a grudge, I guess. I didn't want any tension at the wedding either." She explained.

Brooke nodded, "So do you think it's actually going to work?"

"What?"

"The friendship thing." Brooke elaborated.

"I hope so."

"It's Nathan though. You actually think you can just be friends with him?" Brooke countered.

Haley bit her lip, "I'm going to try."

"So you want him back in your life?"

"Just for now. He's going back to Charlotte though, so nothing can happen."

Brooke laughed, 'Funny. You said that when you were 18, but it happened anyway."

Haley frowned, "I know, and look where we ended up."

Brooke sighed, "Okay, well listen. We'll talk later, I need to go, but do you want to come to dinner tomorrow night?" She asked.

"Okay sounds good." Haley agreed, not knowing that Nathan would be there too.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	9. The One That Got Away

**Okay, so first of all, sorry for the long wait. This makes up for it because it's the longest chapter EVER. And bad news, I might not be able to update for another two weeks because I'm going to Bermuda, and also a Jana Kramer concert. The good news is that I might meet her. I'm literally screaming as I write this. LOL. I'm a huge country music fan and obviously I'm obsessed with One Tree Hill so if I meet her, I'm going to die. I'll be sure to tell you if anything happens.**

**Lastly, on behalf of Cory Moneith's death today, I dedicate this chapter to him and all of my fellow Finchel/Monchele fans. I can't even imagine if we lost someone like Nathan. R.I.P**

* * *

Nathan stepped down from his Range Rover as he placed his aviator sunglasses over his eyes, and grabbed the bottle of wine that was resting in the passenger seat. He walked up to Lucas and Brooke's door, and knocked loudly, as he waited patiently for someone to answer the door.

Brooke was in the middle of preparing dinner, while Lucas quickly ran to the bathroom. Haley was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a glass of wine, as she heard the knock on the door. Brooke bit her lip, knowing who it was.

"Hey Haley, can you answer the door please?" Brooke asked.

Haley nodded, "Sure." She smiled as she got up and walked over to the front door. "Were you expecting some-" The rest of the words died on Haley's lips as she opened the door to a smirking Nathan. "Nathan, hi- what are you doing here?" Haley stuttered.

Nathan's eyes widened. He was definitely not expecting Haley to answer the door to his cousins house. "I could as you the same thing."

Haley blushed slightly, and her heart rate increased at his intense gaze. "I...um...well..."

Just then, Lucas came walking down the stairs noticing the shock on Nathan's face. "Oh hey man, you're finally here. Come on in."

Haley couldn't even speak, but she moved over so that Nathan could enter. Lucas pulled Nathan in for a quick hug and whispered, "Surprise" in his ear. Nathan pulled away and glared at his cousin.

"Oh thanks for the wine." Lucas smiled and grabbed the wine from his hands, and walked into the kitchen, leaving Nathan and Haley to stand awkwardly in the front hall together.

Nathan took this time to slowly check Haley out. She was wearing a simple orange sun dress, that displayed her perfectly sun tanned skin, and tone legs. She had her hair up in a neat bun, and she looked breathtaking.

"So um, you look great Haley." Nathan complimented shyly.

"Oh, uh, thank you." She giggled nervously. _Is he flirting with me?_

"How are you?" Nathan asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"I'm pretty good. You?"

Nathan jammed his hands in his pockets, "Good, I'm doing okay I guess." He shrugged. "_As good as I can be without you..". _He mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Haley asked politely. She heard Nathan mumble something, but couldn't make out the words.

Nathan quickly cleared his throat, "Oh, nothing. Sorry."

Haley smiled shyly, "Okay, well I'm gonna, um, go back... with Brooke."

"Okay. See you later." Nathan smiled, and quickly chastised himself for his choice of words. He was acting like a nervous wreck around her and he had no idea why.

Haley walked back into the kitchen and roughly grabbed Brooke's arm.

"Ow!" Brooke shrieked.

"Why didn't you tell me Nathan was coming?" Haley huffed.

"Why are you mad about it? I thought you'd be happy." Brooke shrugged.

Haley bit her lip, "I would have at least liked a warning!"

"Relax, you look hot." Brooke grinned.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Thanks but I'm not trying to impress him." She lied.

Brooke scoffed, "Right." She muttered sarcastically. "Well at least make him know what he's missing out on."

Haley sighed, "I think we've both suffered enough for the past five years. I'm going to put the past behind us, and act like an adult." Haley said humbly.

Brooke smiled, "That's great, I'm proud of you Hales."

"Thanks." Haley smiled as she took a long gulp of alcohol. If she was going to get through this dinner with Nathan, she would have to have a bit of liquid courage in her body.

"So now that the past is forgotten, maybe you guys can work on your future together." Brooke suggested.

Haley almost started to choke on her drink. "Brooke!" She scolded.

"What?" Brooke asked innocently.

"It's not happening, so what ever you're planning, just stop." Haley warned lightly.

"I am truly offended that you would think I would do such a thing!" Brooke feigned dramatically.

Haley laughed, "You're such a dram queen."

Brooke grinned, "I know, but seriously... think about it."

"Think about what?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Don't even try to deny it Haley, you still want Nathan."

"I do not!" Haley replied quickly.

Brooke pointed the knife she was holding at Haley, "Don't lie to me." She playfully glared.

Haley bit her lip and sighed, "Okay fine, maybe so. But that doesn't mean anything will happen..."

"Why not?" Brooke asked as she went back to cutting up vegetables for a salad.

"Because it's not like he'd want to try it again. I broke his heart, and frankly, I don't blame him for giving up." Haley sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"After he kissed me the other night, I told him that he shouldn't have done that, and he said he gave up and walked away..." Haley explained.

"So explain to me again why you want to be friends?" Brooke asked.

"Because when he kissed me, I realized how much I've missed him these past five years, and I really want him in my life, even if we're just friends." Haley admitted.

"Really? You can do that? Just be friends, I mean?" Brooke asked with a quirked eye brow.

Haley bit her lip, "Yeah.." She whispered. _'I hope...'_

Just then, Brooke started to laugh hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Haley asked.

Brooke just waved her hand in dismissal, obviously laughing too hard to form a sentence.

"What?" Haley asked frustrated.

"I was just thinking how much this situation is like that Katy Perry song."

"What song?" Haley asked.

"You know, the one where she'ls like 'In another life I would make you stay, so I wouldn't have to say you were the one that got away..."

Haley furrowed her brow, "I never heard it."

Brooke grinned, "Okay, I'll play it for you." She walked over to her iPod speakers, and blasted the volume, as the lyrics to "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry started to boom through the house.

Haley looked over at Brooke who started to sing and dance, and she started to crack up, but when she heard the lyrics, she couldn't help but think how much the song actually did relate to her and Nathan.

**Summer after high school when we first met**  
**We make out in your Mustang to Radiohead**  
**And on my 18th Birthday**  
**We got matching tattoos**

**Used to steal your parents' liquor**  
**And climb to the roof**  
**Talk about our future**  
**Like we had a clue**  
**Never planned that one day**  
**I'd be losing you**

**In another life**  
**I would be your girl**  
**We'd keep all our promises**  
**Be us against the world**

**In another life**  
**I would make you stay**  
**So I don't have to say**  
**You were the one that got away**  
**The one that got away**

**I was June and you were my Johnny Cash**  
**Never one without the other, we made a pact**  
**Sometimes when I miss you**  
**I put those records on (Whoa)**

**Someone said you had your tattoo removed**  
**Saw you downtown singing the Blues**  
**It's time to face the music**  
**I'm no longer your muse**

**But in another life**  
**I would be your girl**  
**We'd keep all our promises**  
**Be us against the world**

**In another life**  
**I would make you stay**  
**So I don't have to say**  
**You were the one that got away**  
**The one that got away**  
**The o-o-o-o-o-one **  
**The one that got away**

**All this money can't buy me a time machine (Nooooo)**  
**Can't replace you with a million rings (Nooooo)**  
**I should've told you what you meant to me (Whoa)**  
**'Cause now I pay the price**

**In another life**  
**I would be your girl**  
**We'd keep all our promises**  
**Be us against the world**

**In another life**  
**I would make you stay**  
**So I don't have to say**  
**You were the one that got away**  
**The one that got away**  
**The o-o-o-o-o-one **

**In another life**  
**I would make you stay**  
**So I don't have to say**  
**You were the one that got away**  
**The one that got away**

Nathan and Lucas were in the living room and in the midst of a conversation when all of a sudden, they heard the lyrics to some song, blasting through the speakers.

Nathan's hands flew to his ears in attempt to drown out the loud music, and Lucas watched through the door as Brooke started singing along. The two men looked at each other and made a "What the hell is she doing?" face.

Lucas and Nathan both walked to the kitchen where Brooke was still dancing, but Haley seemed to be in some trance. While Lucas went to lower the volume, Nathan walked over to Haley.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked.

Haley looked up at him with teary eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine." She lied.

Nathan's eyebrows rose, "Haley Bob James, don't you lie to me. Tell me what's wrong." He demanded playfully.

Haley giggled and wiped her tears from her eyes, "That song... it just brought back memories. I tried to be strong..."

Nathan frowned. He wasn't going to lie, but when he first heard the song on the radio a few days ago, it also reminded him so much of Haley, and it killed him.

"I know what you mean." He said solemnly.

Haley looked up at Nathan with wide eyes, "You do?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah, I heard that song once, and I thought of the night we celebrated your 18th birthday." Nathan smirked.

Haley blushed, "That was a fun night."

* * *

_August 2nd, 2008:_

_Haley looked out of her window and smiled when she saw Nathan sitting in his new red Mustang that he recently brought to Holden Beach when he went back to Charlotte a few days ago. He looked up and honked the horn loudly, signalling that he wanted Haley to come down. She put her index finger up, letting him know she needed one more minute. Haley glanced at herself through the mirror, and smiled at the way she looked. She had on a lacy black shirt paired with simple white shorts, and her honey blonde hair was perfectly curled. Brooke walked in and smiled appreciatively. _

_"You look amazing." Brooke complimented. _

_Haley looked in the mirror and saw Brooke standing in her door way, "Thanks." She smiled._

_"I have to admit, I'm kind of bummed I don't get to spend your eighteenth birthday with you." Brooke pouted._

_Haley chuckled, "I know, And besides, you already made me breakfast in bed, and got me this really cute shirt. but I promise we'll spend the entire day tomorrow. "_

_Brooke clapped eagerly, "Great! We can go shopping."_

_Haley laughed loudly, "Okay, I can't wait."_

_"So where is lover boy taking you?" Brooke asked as Haley grabbed her small white purse._

_"I'm not sure, but he promised that it would be amazing." Haley gushed._

_"I tried to get the details out of him but he wouldn't tell me." Brooke frowned, "But have a great time."_

_"Thanks, I'll miss you!" Haley said as she hugged her friend._

_"Happy Birthday tutor girl." Brooke whispered._

_"Thanks, talk to you later!" Haley called, and ran outside to Nathan's mustang._

_"Hey baby!" Haley smiled widely as she walked closer to the car._

_Nathan was leaning against the car with flowers, and he quickly turned around to open the passenger door for Haley. "Happy Birthday Hales!" Nathan smiled brightly._

_Haley leaned up and pressed a sweet kiss against Nathan's lips. "Thanks!"_

_Nathan pulled away and and handed Haley the small purple flowers. "I hope you aren't sick of these yet." He joked._

_Haley giggled, "Never. I love these!"_

_"Good." Nathan smiled and walked back to the other side of his car and got in the drivers seat. He looked over at Haley and smiled._

_"What?" She asked shyly._

_Nathan was about to say that he loved her, but quickly decided against it. "Nothing, you just look beautiful, as always." Nathan complimented._

_Haley blushed lightly, "Thanks babe. Brooke got me this outfit for my birthday."_

_"I'll be sure to thank her for that later." Nathan smirked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes and placed her hand on Nathan's cheek. Nathan slowly leaned over and captured Haley's lips in a heated kiss. Haley moaned slightly when Nathan gently massaged her tongue with his. Nathan smiled against Haley's mouth, as they continued to make out. Haley shifted in her seat so that Nathan could have better access to her mouth. They made out for what felt like ten minutes, until they heard a loud cough. Haley pulled away from Nathan and her cheeks turned as red as tomatoes. Nathan tried to stifle a laugh at Haley's embarrassment, _

_"I'd hate to break this little love fest up, but you're not supposed to be parked here." A security guard said._

_Haley hid her face behind her hands, knowing that it was the same guard who yelled at them for walking on the beach the second night that they arrived this summer._

_"Sorry sir." Nathan replied, and quickly drove away. "It's all clear now Hales, you can come out from hiding." Nathan joked._

_"Ha, ha." Haley deadpanned. "That was so embarrassing. That guy always catches us doing some sort of PDA."_

_Nathan chuckled, "It's not bad! I mean it's not like we were having se-"_

_"Okay I get it!" Haley said loudly._

_Nathan smirked, and took one hand off the steering wheel and grabbed Haley's hand so that he could intertwine their fingers together._

_Haley looked down and smiled widely, "So where are you taking me Romeo?"_

_"McDonalds." Nathan joked._

_"You're funny." Haley said sarcastically._

_Nathan chuckled, "What, you don't like big macs? I have a coupon!"_

_Haley smiled, "Wow! This is the best birthday ever! Nathan Scott is using his coupon just for me!" She joked dramatically._

_Nathan laughed, "No, you deserve way better than that."_

_"So where are we really going?" Haley asked as she batted her eyelashes._

_"You'll see. It's a surprise."_

_Haley huffed, "I hate surprises!"_

_"I know, but you'll like this one."_

_"You say that every time!" Haley smiled._

_"And am I right, every time?" Nathan pressed._

_Haley giggled, "I guess so."_

_"What? Did I just hear correctly? Haley James said I was right!"_

_"I said, 'I guess so' that doesn't mean I said you were right." Haley joked._

_Nathan playfully rolled his eyes, 'Whatever, I know I'm right."_

_Haley smiled and pressed the 'on' button for the radio. The lyrics to "Long Hot Summer" by Keith Urban came blasting through the stereo._

_"I love this song!" Haley clapped._

_Nathan smirked, "I know, you'll like the next song too."_

_Haley furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"_

_"I made you a CD with all of your favorite songs, or songs that remind me of you, and I programmed it so when you turned on the radio, it would play." Nathan explained._

_Haley's heart fluttered at the gesture. "You're seriously the best boyfriend ever."_

_"Play the next song." Nathan urged._

_Haley leaned over the console and pressed forward, and she instantly smiled. The song "Ain't nothing about you" by Brooks and Dunn started to play._

_"This song always makes me think of you." Nathan explained._

_Haley felt the tears of happiness form in her eyes. He really was the sweetest guy she ever met. Haley had no idea how she got so lucky. "This is so sweet." She gushed._

_Nathan smiled and heard Haley's sweet voice start to sing along. _

_"Okay, we have time for one more song before we get there. Play number 4." Nathan advised._

_Haley leaned over and skipped to track number 4, and squealed. "This is my favorite song!" She revealed as she heard the lyrics to 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry._

_"Mine too." Nathan smiled._

_"Really?" Haley asked._

_"Yeah, it's like us. I'm living my teenage dream with you Haley James."_

_Haley was about to melt with his sweet words. "You're so amazing, Nathan Scott."_

_"The night hasn't even started yet." Nathan smiled._

_"Well it's not possible to be any more amazing." Haley joked._

_"You'll just have to wait and see." Nathan replied and parked his mustang in a parking lot. _

_"Where are we?" Haley asked as she peeked out the window._

_"The docks." Nathan replied as he opened Haley's car door._

_"I love it here!" Haley gushed._

_Nathan smiled, and grabbed Haley's hand._

_"Nathan, where are we going? The restaurant is that way."_

_"I never said we were eating on the docks." Nathan smiled coyly._

_Haley bit her lip, and followed Nathan as he dragged her over to a large boat. There was a sign that read, 'Dinner Cruise: A night out on a yacht, for dinner and dancing'. "Nathan! Are we going on that?"_

_Nathan smiled at followed Haley's gaze over to the large yacht that was floating in the water. "Yup. I booked it a few nights ago." Nathan explained._

_Haley was speechless. The night hasn't even begun, but she knew it was the best birthday ever. "This is amazing! You're amazing!"_

_Nathan smiled and grabbed Haley's hand as he led her over to the entrance of the yacht. They waited on line with a bunch of middle age adults, but that didn't stop them from kissing and hugging each other. The teenage couple was in the middle of a steamy kiss, when they heard a lady clear her throat. "Can you move up please?"_

_Haley blushed and walked to the entrance where Nathan handed the tickets to the security guard, and he gained them access. "Have a good night." The guard smiled._

_Nathan led Haley on to the boat and shook hands with the guard. "Thank you."_

_"This is spectacular!" Haley gushed as she entered the boat. There was a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a large stage in the center where a band was playing classical music. Haley blushed as she noticed all of the men wearing suits, and the women wore fancy dresses._

_"Am I under dressed, Nathan?" She whispered._

_Nathan shook his head, "You look beautiful. You're the prettiest girl in this room, babe."_

_Haley blushed, "You and your lines."_

_"I'm serious." Nathan said genuinely._

_Haley smiled, "I know. Thank you. You look handsome, too." She said as she fiddled with the collar on his light blue polo._

_"Just handsome?" Nathan joked._

_Haley leaned up on her tippy toes and whispered in Nathan's ear. "Sexy"_

_Nathan gulped as he felt Haley's hot breath tickle against his ear. He pulled away and smiled widely, "You're sexier."_

_Haley blushed, and lightly slapped Nathan's chest. _

_"Want to dance?" Nathan asked as he looked over to the dance floor where couples were slow dancing._

_Haley smiled, "I thought you hated dancing?"_

_Nathan shrugged, 'I do, but I'll make an exception for you."_

_"I knew I liked you." Haley joked._

_"You better." Nathan winked._

_Haley placed her head on Nathan's chest, as they swayed to the beat of the soft music. Nathan wrapped his arms securely around Haley's lower back, and Haley hugged Nathan's chest. _

_A few minutes later, one of the workers on the boat went up to stage and made an announcement. "Thank you everyone for spending the evening with Silver Platter Cruise Lines. Dinner will be served at around 7:30, but for now we have a special singer aboard with us, so please give a warm welcome to Gavin DeGraw!" The middle aged blonde declared._

_The people on the dance floor clapped loudly, but Haley let out a loud teenage scream. Everyone looked over at Haley who blushed and covered her face back into Nathan's chest._

_Nathan chuckled, "It's okay babe, we're the youngest ones on this ship."_

_Haley leaned her head up slightly so she could look into Nathan's warm blue eyes, "I just love Gavin DeGraw."_

_"I know, that's why I decided to take you on here. Plus I heard the food was amazing, and so is the view."_

_Haley smiled, "This is an amazing 18th birthday, and I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else."_

_Nathan smiled and leaned down to kiss Haley sweetly. Gavin DeGraw then came up on the stage and introduced himself. "Hey guys, I'm Gavin. I'm really excited to be here tonight, I hope everyone enjoys themselves."_

_Gavin then started to play the intro to "We Belong Together" and Haley squealed with delight. _

_"Let me guess, you love this song too?" Nathan joked as he twirled Haley in his arms._

_Haley smiled, "Yeah."_

_The couple danced for a few more songs, and then walked over to their table. "Look at this view!" Haley said breathlessly. Their table was next to the open window that overlooked the clear blue sea, and city lights on the water. _

_"It's beautiful." Nathan smiled, and pulled out Haley's chair._

_Haley smiled and took a seat, as she looked out the window and watched the boats that passed the yacht. _

_A waiter then walked over and took Nathan and Haley's order. "What can I get for you tonight?" He asked politely._

_Nathan smirked over at Haley, "She'll have the mac 'n' cheese, and I'll have the ribs please." Nathan ordered._

_The waiter looked at Haley oddly, but scribbled down the order and walked away._

_Nathan chuckled, "Did you see his face?"_

_Haley giggled, "Yeah"_

_"I thought once you turned 18, you'd grow out of your childish food habits." Nathan joked._

_Haley scoffed, "No one is ever to old to enjoy mac 'n' cheese!"_

_Nathan smiled, "I know."_

_"Don't get me wrong, Nate, but wasn't this really expensive?" Haley asked as she looked around the yacht._

_Nathan shrugged, "Nah, and besides, you deserve the best. You turn 18 once." He smiled._

_"I can't thank you enough-" Haley began._

_Nathan laughed, "Don't thank me yet, I still never gave you your gift."_

_"Oh Nathan, you didn't have to get me anything-"_

_"Are you kidding? What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't get anything for my girl on her birthday?" Nathan smirked. "Of course I got you something, and it's pretty amazing. I picked it out all by myself."_

_Haley smiled, and looked into Nathan's eyes lovingly. "Thank you, seriously."_

_"Do you want your gift now?" Nathan asked._

_Haley bit her lip, trying to suppress her excitement._

_"I'll take that as a yes?" Nathan smiled, and Haley nodded eagerly._

_Nathan chuckled and reached into his khaki shorts pocket and pulled out a small black box, and a rectangular envelope._

_Haley couldn't help the smile that spread over her entire face. _

_"Happy Birthday Hales." Nathan smiled as he handed Haley the gift._

_"Thank you." Haley smiled as she gently took the envelope from, and opened it. Haley smiled when she read the front of the card. Her heart warmed because Nathan made it himself. It wasn't a store bought card, but one that he actually made himself._

_"I suck at drawing, sorry." Nathan said shyly._

_Haley looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I love it Nathan, thank you so much."_

_"Did you read it yet?" Nathan asked._

_Haley giggled, "No, I'm too busy appreciating your art work." She replied as she looked at the front of the card which had a badly drawn picture of a cake and balloons, and a big 'Happy Birthday' written in colorful markers in Nathan's messy handwriting. Throughout the cover, there were also a bunch of red hearts scattered around the writing. _

_"Open it." Nathan advised._

_Haley opened the handmade card and laughed. The entire card was filled with words, and tiny red hearts. _

_"Should I read it out loud?" Haley asked_

_"If you want." Nathan laughed._

_Haley smiled and looked down at the card. She cleared her throat and started to read it out loud,_

_"Dear Hales,_

_First off let me start off my saying Happy eighteenth birthday. I'm honored that I get to spend this special day with you. You deserve to be treated like a princess not only today, but everyday. I really hope that you have an amazing birthday, because you're an amazing girl. These past two months have been the best. It was all because of you. I don't know what I would do with out you. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, so I guess, I should thank you for being born, because you blessed not only me, but the entire world with your presence. I'm truly lucky that I got to meet you, and I'm even luckier that I get to call you my girlfriend. You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. You always make me laugh, because your laugh is adorable and contagious. Your smile is one of the 1,000,000 things that I'm crazy about you for. Most importantly, you have the biggest heart, and some how you're crazy enough to put up with me. You're so far out of my league, but I just hope you never realize it. So here's to your birthday, and all of the other birthday's to come. This is just the start of a beautiful life. This is starting to sound super cheesy, and I'm running out of room but once again happy birthday, and I hope you like your gift/this card._

_Yours truly, (always and forever),_

_Nathan Royal Scott."_

_Haley finished reading the card and wiped the stray tears that were rolling down her cheeks._

_"Aw baby, I didn't mean to make you cry! I want you to laugh." Nathan said quickly._

_Haley giggled through her tears, "No, I know, these are happy tears. You're so sweet!"_

_Nathan smiled shyly, "You think so? I mean, I didn't know what card I should have got you, so I thought it would've been nicer if I made it for you-"_

_"It's perfect, I can't thank you enough. You are the sweetest." Haley gushed._

_Nathan smiled, "Okay, well here's your gift."_

_Haley graciously accepted the rectangular black box, and her jaw dropped when she opened it._

_"So what do you think?" Nathan asked eagerly. He was so nervous to see her reaction, because he has never bought anything like this for anyone and he really hoped she liked it._

_Haley was truly speechless, "Nathan..." She whispered, "It's beautiful!" She said as she looked at the diamond heart necklace._

_Nathan smiled. "Do you like it?"_

_Haley looked up with her glossy eyes, since tears were forming again, "I love it." She said as she put the necklace on and leaned over the table and met Nathan half way and they shared a long, passionate kiss. They were once again, interrupted when the waiter brought over their dinner._

_Haley quickly pulled away and blushed, while Nathan lightly cursed._

_The waiter quickly left, and Haley laughed at the look on Nathan's face. "What's wrong babe?"_

_"We keep getting interrupted every time we kiss." Nathan pouted._

_Haley smiled seductively, and playfully batted her eyelashes. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later."_

_Nathan gulped, "Hales, you know we don't have to do anything-"_

_Haley's heart warmed at Nathan's concern, but she knew that tonight would be the night that she gave herself away completely. "I know, but I'm ready. I've thought about it a lot lately, and I want to be with you Nathan."_

_"I thought you wanted to wait until marriage-"_

_"Nathan, I want you." Haley said sternly._

_Nathan just simply nodded and decided not to press the subject further. He knew Haley was still a virgin, and he respected her for that. He loved her, and he wanted her, but he would wait for her forever, and he knew he wasn't ready to say the big 'I love you' yet._

_"I have to go to the restroom, I'll be right back." Nathan excused himself and quickly walked to the bathroom. Once he was finished, he walked over to the stage and requested a special song._

_Haley finished her mac 'n' cheese, and waited patiently for Nathan to come back. _

_"You wanna o up to the deck?" Nathan asked._

_Haley nodded eagerly and smiled as she put her hand in Nathan's and walked out on the boat. The sun was setting, and the sky had an orange and yellow glow to it. "This is beautiful!"_

_"Yeah it's one hell of a view." Nathan smirked._

_The couple walked over to the edge of the boat, and Nathan hugged Haley from behind as they looked out at the sunset together for several minutes, until Nathan heard Gavin DeGraw start singing. Nathan quickly grabbed Haley's hand and pulled her back into the cabin of the boat. Couples started to fill the dance floor, and one guy even proposed to his girlfriend. Haley watched the scene and smiled. "Aw babe, look, that guys proposing." Haley smiled._

_Nathan smiled at the couple, "That would be bad if she said no." Nathan joked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "That's horrible!"_

_"Good thing she said yes." Nathan smiled as he watched the girl jump in the man's arms._

_"They're cute."_

_"No as cute as Naley." Nathan joked._

_Haley smiled, "No one can be as cute as Naley."_

_Gavin finished his song, and smiled discreetly at Nathan._

_"Okay guys, before I start my next song, I would just like to say 'Happy Birthday' to Haley James. She's turning 18 today, so if everyone can please sing along with me, that would be great." Gavin said into the microphone. "Nathan, please escort your beautiful birthday girl to the center of the dance floor."_

_Haley stood speechless in Nathan's arm, and Nathan laughed. "Come on Hales, you heard him."_

_Haley practically floated to the center of the dance floor, and Gavin, as well as the rest of the people on the boat started to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her._

_Nathan smiled and clapped loudly when everyone finished, and Haley ran into Nathan's arms and hugged him. "How-What?"_

_Nathan chuckled, "When I went to the bathroom, I asked him to to this."_

_Haley bit her quivering lip and hugged Nathan tightly. "Words can not describe how happy you make me."_

_Nathan smiled sweetly and leaned down for a fiery kiss._

_The couple broke away from the kiss when air was needed, and they danced to "More than Anyone"._

_"Hales? Where are we going?" Nathan asked Haley, who was dragging him along the docks for the past five minutes._

_"You'll see." She smiled._

_"Babe, it's one am, I doubt stores will be open now." Nathan joked. The yacht came back to the docks at eleven, and Nathan and Haley went to the Carvel on the docks, and ordered a small birthday cake. They brought it back to a table and finished it together. Nathan then carved their initials into the table, and Haley then jumped up and grabbed Nathan's hand and started to pull him wherever they were going. _

_"It's okay, it's open." Haley smiled cheekily._

_Nathan looked up at the sign and his mouth dropped. "Are you kidding?"_

_"Nope, come on!" Haley smiled as she walked into the tattoo parlor._

_The bald headed man with a sleeve of tattoos looked up from his desk and smirked. "How can I help you kids?"_

_Nathan looked over at Haley who was smiling from ear to ear. "I want to get a '23' tattoo on my back." Haley said simply._

_Nathan's eyes widened, "Hales are you drunk?"_

_Haley rolled her eyes, "No, I want to do this."_

_The bald headed man nodded. "What about you?" He nodded at Nathan._

_"Me?" He stuttered, "Oh, um, no- no thanks."_

_Haley looked up at Nathan with big eyes, and she pouted her lower lip. "Please baby?"_

_Nathan sighed. There was no way he could say no to that face. "Okay um yeah, I'll get a 23 too I guess,"_

_The guy nodded and walked into the backroom to get the ink ready._

_"What made you want to get a tattoo?" Nathan asked._

_"I don't know, I just want a way of remembering this night." Haley explained._

_"Why a 23?"_

_"It's your jersey number. If you're not okay with it, I can ask for something different-"_

_Nathan smiled, "No, no. It's fine. I think it's hot. You'll be my personal cheerleader."_

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Yeah you're right."_

_"Okay, I'm ready for you guys." The tattoo artist said._

_Haley smiled and walked into the backroom. She laid on her stomach and grabbed Nathan's hand._

_"It's going to hurt a little." The man advised, and pushed Haley's shirt up. "You want it above your jean line?"_

_"Yes please."_

_"Okay." The man started to ink her skin and she grabbed Nathan's hand._

_"Can you write the letters 'NS' on my waist line too please?"_

_"Yeah." _

_About fifteen minutes later, the guy was finished, and Haley squeezed Nathan's hand tightly._

_"Okay, same thing for you kid?" The guy asked gruffly._

_Nathan looked over at Haley, "Um yeah I'll get a 23 on my back, and the word 'Hales' on my left wrist." He smiled._

_Haley's heart fluttered. She loved when Nathan called her 'Hales'. _

_Nathan endured the pain better than Haley but he still held on to her hand. Another fifteen minutes later, the guy finished Nathan's tattoos and they paid._

_"My mom's going to kill me." Nathan joked._

_Haley bit her lip, "Sorry, I know it was totally last minute but something just came over me and I really wanted to do this."_

_"It's fine, I'm glad we did it. This way you'll always be with me." He smiled._

_"Nathan I'm not dying!" Haley joked._

_"I know but it's still cool we got matching tats."_

_Haley smiled, "We're so cheesy."_

_"I don't care. I want the word to know you'll be mine always and forever." He declared and leaned down for a sweet kiss._

* * *

"It was a _very_ fun night." Nathan agreed.

Haley took a deep breath, "It happens a lot, you know."

"What does?"

"I hear songs, and it's like they were written about us." Haley admitted shyly.

Nathan laughed softly, "That happens to you too?"

Haley nodded, "Yeah, I thought I was crazy."

"Well you're not, because it happens to me a lot, too." Nathan admitted softly.

Haley nodded, "I still.. um .. have that CD you made me. Sometimes I listen to it when I'm sad." Haley admitted softly, and another tear fell from her eye.

Nathan swallowed hard as a large lump started to form in the back of his throat. He gently lifted his thumb and wiped the tear from Haley's cheek with the pad of his finger. "Hey, don't be upset."

Haley bit her lip, "Sorry. I'm acting like a baby. I just keep having these flashbacks.."

"I understand." Nathan said softly.

"Do you still have.." Haley started to ask.

Nathan smiled sadly and pulled the silver watch that he always wore on his left wrist. There in black writing read the word 'Hales.' "Of course I still have it. You hurt me Haley, but I will never forget that summer."

Haley felt a new batch of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I still have mine too." She revealed.

Nathan smiled softly. "We walked down memory lane tonight, huh?"

Haley bit her lip, "Yeah, yeah we did."

Nathan cleared his throat, "Are you okay now?"

Haley bit her lip. On the inside she was screaming 'no', but she couldn't tell him that.

So she lied, "I'm fine."

* * *

**Please review. I spent six hours writing this!**

**Next chapter will be the rest of the dinner, and something dramatic is bound to happen ;)**

**Thanks for reading.**


	10. Not Over You

**So because you guys are amazing and left me the SWEETEST reviews, I decided to update one last time before I go off to Bermuda. I would love to try and update one last time, but I have a lot to do in preparation for the trip, so no promises. Sunday is my Jana Kramer concert which I am STOKED for! So I may or may not update Saturday. I want to because I LOVE writing this story. It's SO much fun, and you guys are so amazing, and you keep me really inspired so thank you! **

**Also, those who are reading my other fic, Give Your Heart a Break, I apologize for not updating in a while, but because my last chapter got deleted I decided to take a small break from it. I promise you I will finish it, I just haven't had time or inspiration :( I will definitely update when I get back from Vacation, because I just bought a new notebook so I will probably rewrite it, and then type it when I come home. Anyway, don't loose faith because I will update, but as of right now I'm focusing on I Never Told You because the ideas are coming quicker to me, and I love it. Lol, so thanks for reading. You're the best! I can't thank you enough for all the reviews. **

**LET'S KEEP NALEY ALIVE (ALWAYS AND FOREVER) **

**~Jill**

**Another A/N will be at the end!**

* * *

Nathan's bright blue eyes were boring into Haley's doe like eyes and she was starring intensely back at him, but they were interrupted when the sound of an oven beeper went off.

"Oh! Dinner's ready!" Brooke cheered.

Haley blushed, realizing she was still looking at Nathan, and quickly looked away. "Do you need any help?" She asked Brooke.

"Um, no thanks, I'll make Broody do it." She joked.

Lucas playfully scoffed, "Are you kidding me?"

"We're getting married buddy, get used to it." Brooke said as she stuck her tongue out.

Nathan watched his cousin and his fiance interact and chuckled, "It's not too late to back out, you know." He joked to Lucas.

"Don't even think about it." Brooke warned.

"Never." Lucas promised, as he hugged Brooke from behind.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You're disgusting."

Haley couldn't help but smile at the couple. She was happy that they found each other, she only wished she could have what they had. She did once... but she wouldn't go down that road again.

"I think they're cute." Haley gushed.

"Of course you do." Nathan mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Haley asked testily.

"You like romance and shit. I don't." Nathan grumbled.

"Why?" Haley asked as she helped Lucas set the table.

"Yeah why, Nate?" Brooke asked as she quirked an eyebrow.

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest, "I think you know."

Haley bit her lip, "I don't."

Nathan stared into Haley's deep brown eyes, and he suddenly remembered how he felt when she told him to leave after he told her he loved her on the last day of vacation.

"I don't believe in love." He said simply.

Haley's heart ached in her chest, knowing she was the reason for that.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, you were a great boyfriend to Haley. You really surprised us on how romantic you actually could be. Remember how romantic you were the night before you left to go to Duke-?" Brooke gushed."

* * *

_Haley knocked Nathan's cabin door, and took a deep breath. This would be the last time she would ever knock on that door. She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head. Tonight was her and Nathan's last night, but she promised herself she wasn't going to cry. She was going to enjoy the time as much as possible. Lucas and Jake went to Haley, Brooke and Peyton's cabin, so that Nathan and Haley could have their alone time. The six of them spent the entire day at the beach, but now Nathan wanted Haley all to himself._

_Nathan took a deep breath, and looked around the cabin to make sure everything was set up. When he was happy, he quickly walked over to the door and opened it. Haley was standing in the door way, looking beautiful as ever. She never failed to take his breath away. She was wearing a yellow skirt that had bright pink and blue flowers on it, with a navy blue tank top._

_Nathan didn't waste any time, and he quickly bent down and captured Haley's lips in a heated kiss. After about a minute of kissing, Haley pulled away and giggled._

_'What was that for?" She asked shyly._

_Nathan smirked, "Do I need a reason to kiss my sexy ass girlfriend?"_

_Haley pretended to think about it, "Nope!" She replied, and jumped up to kiss Nathan again. She pulled away and blatantly checked him out. "You're looking exceptionally handsome." She smiled._

_"Don't I always?" Nathan joked._

_Haley playfully rolled his eyes, "You're so cocky!"_

_Nathan shrugged, "Don't act like you don't like it."_

_"I guess I do." Haley joked._

_"So are you hungry?" Nathan asked as he led Haley through the cabin._

_"Yeah, I'm starving!" She admitted, and followed Nathan out to the back patio. When they walked out, Haley grew speechless. "Nathan, this is beautiful!" She gushed._

_The back of the cabin, had a small balcony that overlooked the beach and Nathan set up a small round table with chairs. On the table, was a black table cloth, two candles, a glass of wine, and a bunch of on the table was a small radio that was playing the song "Carolina" by Parmalee. _

_Nathan shrugged, "It's just a little something."_

_Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan's torso, "It's perfect."_

_"Okay, well let's eat." Nathan said as he held the chair out for Haley, and pecked a sweet kiss on her lips. _

_"Thank you Nathan." She said quietly as he took a seat across from her._

_"For what?" He asked._

_"Everything. This entire summer. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You make me the happiest and luckiest girl alive." She said as she began to get choked up._

_Nathan smiled sadly, "Hey, don't cry, baby. We still have all night." _

_Haley bit her lip. "I know, I'm sorry, it's just so hard. I'm going to miss you more than you'll ever know."_

_Nathan nodded in agreement. "I know, I know. I promise we're going to make it work though, okay?"_

_"Nathan- do you really think we can? I'm going to be in California-"_

_Nathan swiftly leaned across the table and interrupted Haley with a kiss. When he pulled away, he grabbed her hand and slowly ran his thumb across her smooth skin. "Listen to me Haley. We are going to make this work, I promise you. Right now, we aren't going to talk about it. We're going to pretend that this night will never end-"_

_"But it will-"_

_Nathan gave her a stern look, "Hales, please just- just do this for me, okay? Don't think about tomorrow. Let's live in the moment. Right now, okay? I'm here, and so are you, so let's enjoy it." He advised._

_Haley wiped the small tear from her cheek, and smiled. "Okay." _

_"Good, now eat up. I made this just for you." Nathan smirked._

_Haley lifted up the silver plate cover that was over her dish, and a hot steaming bowl of mac n cheese was revealed. She looked across at Nathan and smiled, "You made this for me?"_

_Nathan nodded, "Yeah, and I don't cook for just anybody Miss. James, so consider yourself lucky"_

_Haley let out a loud giggle, "I am the luckiest girl alive."_

_"And I'm the luckiest bastard alive." Nathan smiled and fed a forkful of mac n cheese to Haley._

_Haley giggled and happily opened her mouth so that Nathan could feed her. She let out a slight moan, because the mac n cheese was delicious._

_"So good babe!" Haley moaned._

_Nathan smirked, "You think so? I usually suck at cooking." He joked._

_"No, this is great!" She moaned again._

_Nathan shifted in his seat as he heard Haley practically having food sex. _

_Haley noticed Nathan's shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "What's wrong?" She asked._

_Nathan gulped, "Uh would it be weird if I said you were turning me on right now?" He laughed nervously._

_Haley blushed, "I don't know, why?"_

_"Well you always turn me on so..." Nathan smirked, causing Haley to roll her eyes. _

_"Do you ever not think about sex?" She asked._

_Nathan chuckled, "It's kind of hard when you're my girlfriend. Literally and figuratively." He smirked._

_Haley blushed and laughed loudly, "Ugh! You're a perve!" She joked._

_"You won't be saying that later!" Nathan said and laughed at Haley's crimson red cheeks as he poured him and Haley a glass of wine. "Cheers!" He said as he lifted his glass. "To always and forever."_

_Haley smiled blissfully, "To always and forever."_

* * *

"Dammit Brooke! I don't want to talk about the past anymore. I'm done." Nathan shouted angrily as he banged his fist against the table.

Haley shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. She had no idea what was happening. One minute she and Nathan were reminiscing on their past, and they were acting like their old selves. Then all of a sudden he started freaking out and getting mad about it.

"Okay, um let's eat." Lucas chimed in, and everyone quickly gathered around the table.

To say it was awkward was an understatement. Nathan was eerily quiet, and wouldn't look at Haley at all.

Lucas could sense the awkward/sexual tension in the air, and quickly cleared his throat. "So, this meal is really great." He smiled.

"Yeah, it is. Great job Brooke." Haley complimented.

"Thanks." Brooke smiled cheekily. "What do you think, Nate?"

"It's fine." Nathan mumbled bitterly as he shoveled food onto his fork. Haley took a long chug of her wine. She very rarely drank, but when Nathan was around her and acting like this- she needed as much alcohol as possible.

"So, Haley. How's work going?" Lucas quickly asked.

Haley smiled, and put her wine glass down. "It's great. I'm sad it's almost over though-"

Nathan's interest suddenly peaked, and he looked up from his meal. "What do you do for a living? Model?" He asked seriously.

Haley was shocked. Mainly because Nathan was speaking to her, and also because he thought she could be a model. "Um no, I'm a high school teacher." She admitted shyly.

"Oh." Nathan wanted to punch himself. He wished he stayed quiet. "That's cool."

Haley frowned. She told him she was going to Stanford to study education, and she dreamed of teaching- but she should have known better- obviously he wouldn't remember. After all, it was five years ago.

"That's right, you went to Stanford to become a teacher." He said as if he read her mind. "I thought you were a model, because- never mind." He said quickly.

"Because you think Haley's hot?" Brooke asked bluntly.

Haley's jaw dropped, "Brooke!"

Nathan couldn't help but laugh, "Actually yeah, that's why."

Haley almost blushed, but she quickly caught herself. On the inside she was flattered, but it was also mixed with annoyance.

"You know Nathan, not everyone who is good looking is a model!" Haley accused.

Nathan furrowed his brow. "I just complimented you. A simple 'Thank you' would suffice." He said in a harsher tone than he meant to.

Haley's eyes widened, "Well I'm sorry that I'm not a model. Those are your standards now, right? You only screw models? I guess I don't have to worry about us getting back together, because you know- I'm not a model." She ranted.

Nathan tried his best to stifle a laugh because he knew if he did laugh, Haley would get more annoyed. He wasn't going to lie- a pissed off Haley, was a hot Haley. Actually scratch that, to Nathan, Haley was always hot.

"Not just models." Nathan smirked. "I also screw actresses and singers. I don't think I've ever had sex with a teacher though- but I'd be up for that. It sounds hot." He said to egg her on.

Haley crossed her arms over he chest, and she felt her blood boiling with rage. "You know, I was actually starting to think you weren't some ass hole that the media portrayed you to be, but I guess you just proved me wrong!" Haley shouted as she jumped up from her chair, and stormed out of the dining room.

Lucas and Brooke stared at each other, and Nathan gulped.

"Why did you just say that?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"I-I don't know. I was just kidding around-" He stuttered.

"Nice move, jack ass." Lucas glared at his cousin.

Brooke pursed her lips together, and rubbed her temples. "I actually thought you guys would be able to act like mature adults, and get along for once, but I guess not." She huffed, and walked away to go and find Haley.

Haley was sitting on the steps outside of Brooke and Lucas's house, with her arms crossed across her chest, and a silent tear rolling down her cheek. She heard the door open, but didn't turn around.

"Are you okay buddy?" Brooke asked as she took a seat next to Haley on the step.

Haley furiously wiped her tear away, and sighed. "I tried my best to hold myself together, but I just couldn't-"

Brooke put her hand on Haley's back and slowly rubbed it. "Hey- shh. It's okay."

"God, he's such an ass!" Haley seethed.

"I know, he was totally out of line, but Luke's talking to him now."

Haley sighed again, "I don't even know what happened. We were fine when we were talking about that Katy Perry song, and then I asked him why he didn't believe in love, and he freaked out!"

Brooke frowned as she continued to rub her friends back. "Nathan's just going through a rough time right now. It's hard for him to see you again-"

"Oh and it's not hard for me?" Haley snapped.

"No, I know that it's hard for you too, but with Nathan, he just doesn't know how to handle it-"

Haley rolled her eyes, "Are you seriously sticking up for him?"

Brooke let out a heavy sigh, "No, I'm just trying to shed a little light on the topic." She explained.

Haley let out a small laugh.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" Brooke asked, and Haley nodded. "I know you were upset with what Nathan said, but I'm pretty sure that was his way of flirting with you."

Haley's eyes widened and she craned her neck to look at Brooke better. She stared at her as if she had ten heads. "Are you serious?" Haley asked.

Brooke nodded, "Yeah- look Nathan can be an ass, but we both know he's a really great guy, he's just having a hard time around you. He doesn't know how to act."

"How do you know?" Haley asked lightly.

"Well I've seen him attempt to flirt with girls, and he always says something crude. The only reason why he acts like some play boy, is because he's worried to let his walls down again. Nathan's really guarded, but when he's around you, I can tell those walls come down. He's just worried about being heart broken again."

Haley scoffed, "Right, well he didn't seem to be heart broken when I saw him at Duke with that slut, three months after we broke up!"

Brooke bit her lip, because she knew the truth behind that story, but she didn't want to be the one to tell Haley.

"What?" Haley asked after she noticed Brooke acting abnormally quiet. "Is there something you know, that I don't?"

Brooke smiled, "Nope."

"Brooke!" Haley whined. "What do you know?"

"You're going to have to talk to Nathan about it. It's not my place to tell you." Brooke said as she got up and extended a hand towards Haley to help her up.

Haley let out a huff, but graciously accepted Brooke's hand. "Okay, well thanks anyway." She smiled.

"No problem, now come on and let's go back inside."

* * *

"Do you know how much of an ass you are?" Lucas retorted as he paced around the kitchen.

Nathan placed his head in his hands and sighed, "Yeah, I know Luke. You don't have to keep reminding me!"

"Tonight was supposed to be a night to forget about the past, and move on." Lucas advised. "I thought you were going to try and be friends?"

Nathan let out a deep breath. "Yeah, I know- but I told you it wouldn't work. There's too much history, and I can't forget it."

"Wouldn't you rather be friends with Haley, then not have her in your life at all?" Lucas asked and Nathan nodded,

"Of course I want her in my life, it's just hard seeing her after all those years. She still looks beautiful, and I can't help but feel attracted to her. Then every time I see her smile, I get some weird feeling in my stomach- and dammit Luke I'm acting like a freaking girl!"

Lucas laughed as he listened to his cousin rant about Haley. "It's fine man, but seriously what are you going to do? You can't act like a jerk around her."

"I don't know how to act!" Nathan shouted. "Part of me wants to be a dick so I can push her away, but then I remember how much my life sucked with out her these past five years, and I realize that I want her in my life again. See? I'm so conflicted!"

"Maybe in order to move on, you both need to let go of the past, just be friends, and go from there." Lucas suggested.

"Yeah, I guess." Nathan shrugged. "I might bring a date to your wedding though."

"What?" Lucas asked. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because it'll help me move on. If Haley and I both go alone, something will probably happen- like I'll be stupid and kiss her again-"

"When did you kiss her?" Lucas asked with wide eyes.

"That doesn't matter, but now I need to find a date." Nathan said quickly.

"That's a stupid idea." Lucas said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why?"

"Because you know you still like Haley, so why are you even going to fight those feelings?"

Nathan rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. "That's just the thing, Lucas. I don't want to have these feelings anymore. I need to let go, but something is holding me back, and I don't know why!"

"So what are you going to do?" Lucas pressed.

"I don't know! I still want to be friends with her though, because I definitely realized I can't live with out her." Nathan stated.

"Well news flash Nathan- if you want to just be friends with a girl, don't disrespect her and say you want to screw her." Lucas advised.

Nathan let out a small chuckle. "What if it's true?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Well then clearly you don't want to be 'just friends'." He muttered.

"Yeah I know but I really don't know what to do. I feel bad that I said those things to Haley, I guess it was my lame attempt to flirt, just to see what she would do."

Lucas dragged his hand over his face, "So then why are you bringing a date to the wedding? And who are you going to bring?"

Nathan slumped his shoulders and took a drink of his beer. "Honestly I would love to have asked Haley to be my date, but we all know that it can't and won't happen, so I might bring this chick I met last night at my hotel."

"Oh yeah? What's she like?" Lucas asked.

"Her name is Alex Dupre, and she's in town to promote her CD. I think she's some country singer, but we talked for a little while and she's pretty chill." Nathan shrugged. "She's hot, too." He smirked.

"Alex Dupre? I've heard of that name before." Lucas said as he tried to think where he heard of her.

"Maybe on the radio?" Nathan asked.

Lucas thought harder, "No, no, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Nathan pressed.

"I don't know, but I think she's trouble Nate." Lucas warned.

"You don't even know her." Nathan protested.

"I've heard her name before, and she probably slept with every guy in Tree Hill. I'm telling you, she's no good. She's a drama queen, and Brooke and I don't need drama at the wedding, so please don't bring her!" Lucas advised.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You just want me to get back together with Hales-"

"Yeah, I do. I really think that you and Haley are made for each other."

Nathan let out a deep sigh, "I don't know, but in order for me to move on one hundred percent, I'm going to have to bring a date."

Lucas chuckled, "Let's be realistic. Do you really think you have a future with this Alex girl, or are you just going to bring her to the wedding, screw her, and not talk to her ever again?"

Nathan groaned and flung his head back in his seat, "You know the answer to that Lucas. Haley is the only girl I could ever picture myself with in the future."

"Exactly, so why don't you just ask Haley to be your date?"

"Because it'll ruin the whole 'friendship' thing." Nathan replied.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Seriously? You're actually going to try and just be friends?"

"I'm trying man! It's not my fault I still have feelings for her-"

"Nathan, it was five years ago, how do you still have feeling for her?"

"I don't know, but I do. They're obviously not as strong as they used to be, but no matter how much I try to hate her, I can't!" Nathan said in an agitated tone.

Lucas sighed, "Well do you really think bringing a date to the wedding is going to fix how you feel? No offence Nate, but you've been screwing random sluts for four years now, and you still aren't over Haley."

Nathan huffed, "I know Luke, I thought I was over her, I really did. I kept telling myself that I was, and the only reason why I sleep with those girls are because I'm afraid to put my heart on the line again." Nathan admitted, "Plus, no one will ever be good as Haley. That's why I'm afraid to open up. Even if I do meet a great girl, I always end up comparing her to Haley."

"Yeah, that really sounds like you got over her." Lucas said sarcastically, making Nathan roll his eyes.

"I thought I did! When I saw her again, all those feelings came back, and I'm scared Lucas! I don't want to risk it all again. I spent five years trying to get over her, and the second I saw her face, I fell for her again!"

Before Lucas could reply, Haley and Brooke walked back in to the kitchen pretending not to have heard the entire conversation, which because of Brooke- Haley did hear the entire conversation. She didn't know how to feel about it. Nathan's words kept mulling over in her brain, and she had to take time to process what he was saying.

Lucas's head snapped up and watched Brooke and Haley enter, but Nathan still had no idea, because his back was towards them.

Nathan stopped talking when he noticed Lucas starring at him and waving his hand under his neck to motion for him to stop talking. "What are you doing dude?" Nathan laughed, but stopped when he turned around and saw Haley starring at him. Nathan quickly cleared his throat.

"Um, so yeah, I was just telling Lucas how I might bring a date to the wedding." He explained quickly.

Haley felt her heart sink to her stomach. She wanted to puke. "Oh." Was all she could bring her self to say.

"I mean if that's okay with you-" Nathan began.

Haley's jaw instantly clenched, "We aren't together anymore Nathan. I don't care who you are with, or who you bring to the god damn wedding!" She shouted. Leave it to Nathan to make her heart flutter one second, and then the next she wanted to punch him in the face. Haley couldn't control her raging emotions. She had so much on her mind, and it was killing her that Nathan was going to bring some random slut to the wedding. She knew she had to hold on to her dignity, and pretend like she didn't care, even though she cared so much about it. The only thing she could do about it, was lie.

"In fact. I'm bringing a date too." She lied, and Brooke looked at her as she furrowed her eyebrows.

Nathan only said he was going to bring a date to the wedding just to see how Haley would react. If she seemed upset, he was going to ask her to be his date, but she obviously didn't care, which made his heart shatter. Haley had no intention to get back together with him (or so it seemed) and he really wished he just shut his mouth the entire night. The fact that she was bringing a date, completely killed him.

"Oh, well, that's good. I'm happy for you." Nathan said smugly.

Haley sighed, and mentally slapped herself.

"_All I need to do now, is find a date, and get over Nathan_." She thought.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so about the flashback; I know it was short, and you probably wanted more, and there will be. I did that on purpose, because it was their last night, I didn't want to give everything away in that one scene, because I still have A LOT to write! I'm just getting started. Haha, and BTW because this is rated T and I'm only 16, I won't be writing any full blown 'smut' because I don't know how to and if I attempted, it would suck and ruin the story, lol, so I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone! I will go in minor detail about their first time though, so don't worry! And I'm sorry that the flashbacks are really random and confusing, but it was the only way to do it. It's kind of like a two in one story, and it's the easiest way to write it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to PM me! Also, if you have ANY comments, questions, concerns, or something you'd like me to include, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I would love to hear what you guys want me to include. For example, some people ask me to include certain songs; I will definitely do that, so let me know. Thanks for reading. I can't thank you enough. I love writing, and knowing that people actually read and enjoy my work makes me SO HAPPY! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Love youuuu!**

**Leave me love ;) **


	11. Drunk On You, High on Summertime

**Stayed up super late just to update. How amazing am I? Haha, actually you guys are amazing. Thanks for the love. This was my favorite chapter to write, so let me know what you think!**

* * *

_Nathan held Haley's hand as they walked into a teen club, located a few miles from their cabins. Brooke had found out about the place from a local ad, and begged her friends to go. Nathan and Haley were reluctant at first because they didn't know if it would be sketchy or what not, but as they walked in, they were happy with the scene. There were a bunch of teens around their age, and the music was great. _

_Nathan immediately felt Haley dragging him to the dance floor, and he tried his best to stand still. _

_"Babe, I really don't like dancing." Nathan replied._

_Haley turned around and gave Nathan a puppy dog face. "Please, Nathan? For me?" She asked as she rapidly batted her eyelashes._

_Nathan took a deep breath, and smiled. "Fine, but only because you look really hot right now, and I have a huge crush on you." He stated._

_Haley smiled satisfactorily and leaned on her tippy toes to give Nathan a long kiss. 'Thanks you're the best!"_

_Nathan chuckled and let Haley drag him to the dance floor, where Usher's song "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love' was playing loudly through the speakers._

_Nathan was awkwardly swaying back and forth and shuffling his feet, while Haley was dancing all over him._

_"Dance babe!" Haley encouraged._

_Nathan looked at his feet and blushed, "I don't know how."_

_Haley giggled, "Are you serious?"_

_Nathan pretended to look hurt, "Hey! Don't laugh at me!"_

_Haley bit her lip, and smiled, 'Okay, I'll teach you. It's easy."_

_"Okay." Nathan smiled._

_Haley turned around so that her back was touching his chest. "Put your hands on my hips." She advised, and Nathan did what he was told._

_"Now just move to the beat, and sway with me." She guided._

_It took a few songs for Nathan to really get into it, but he learned to loosen up, and he really enjoyed it._

_Haley grinded her hips against Nathan, and he leaned in closer to kiss her neck._

_A slower song came on, and Haley turned around as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriends neck._

_"See, this is easy. You're doing great." Haley complimented him._

_Nathan smiled, "That's because I have the best dance partner."_

_Haley reciprocated with a bright smile, and a long, passionate kiss._

_"Listen to the song." Haley smiled._

_Nathan glanced toward the DJ and laughed. "It's our song." He said referring to the Gavin DeGraw song that was playing._

_Haley looked into his eyes, and gently sang along with the lyrics._

_"And when I kiss your soul, body be free..."_

* * *

"Haley James, it is my Bachelorette Party, and you're moping around like a depressed puppy! Now drink up, put on a smile, or I'm kicking you out!" Brooke slurred as she took another tequila shot at the bar.

Haley managed to give Brooke a small smile, but went back to rest her head in her hands. The entire night, Haley couldn't get her mind off of Nathan. The wedding was in two days, and she still had no date. She didn't know why she lied to Nathan about bringing a date, but she didn't know what else to do. It had been three days since the dinner, and she still hasn't seen or talked to Nathan. Ever since that night, Haley couldn't stop thinking about his words. Her and Brooke managed to listen to Lucas and Nathan's conversation, and she still didn't know what to feel or think about it. She heard Nathan say that he still had feelings for her, but he wanted to get over her. So what did that mean? Haley realized she felt the same way as Nathan did; she was completely conflicted. A part of her wanted to get back together with Nathan, but she knew that it wouldn't work. She hated the awkward tension between the two of them, and she desperately wanted to work things out with him. If being friends with Nathan, was all she could get, then she would have to deal with it. Being friends with him, was a lot better than not having him in her life at all, right? For the past five years, she was never able to forget him, so pretending he didn't exist was impossible. Haley needed to get over him, but so far nothing has worked. Maybe the date would be a good idea... as soon as she could find one, preferably a guy who was tall, muscular, had dark hair, beautiful blue eyes-

Haley was stirred from her deep thoughts as she felt Brooke place a shot glass in her hands.

"Stop thinking about him, and drink!" Brooke advised.

Haley let out a small chuckle. Maybe a little alcohol was what she needed. It would heal her temporary pain. "Eh, what the hell!" Haley smiled and tilted her head back as she swallowed the alcohol. She felt the liquid burning through her esophagus, and it felt damn good. "Hit me again!' She shouted at the bartender. Tonight was Brooke's bachelorrette party, and a bunch of her friends gathered at Tric to have a good time. Haley had been in a depression for three days, so she figured that tonight- she was going to live a little.

The bartender handed Haley another shot, and Haley graciously accepted it, as she drowned back to clear drink.

"You go girl!" Brooke cheered as she watched Haley drown another shot.

Haley smiled. She was always the 'good girl'. Tonight, it felt right to loosen up, and she was going to enjoy herself.

* * *

"This is the worst Bachelor party ever." Nathan huffed as he slammed the x-box controller on the coffee table.

Lucas chuckled and grabbed another piece of pizza. "Sorry guys, Brooke had strict rules."

"Dude, it's your last free night as a man. You should be at a strip club, or getting wasted, or something." Nathan advised.

"Geez, you act like I'm dying!" Lucas chuckled.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You practically are. Marriage is a waste. Why would you want to be with someone forever? There are millions of hot girls waiting to hook up, minus all the relationship crap."

Lucas sighed, "That's not my life style. I'm not into one night stands. I'm excited to settle down and spend the rest of my life with Brooke. I love her."

"Pussy." Nathan muttered.

Jake Jagelski laughed, "I kind of agree with Luke, Nate. I'd much rather be with someone I love for the rest of my life, then a string of meaningless one night stands."

"Easy for you to say. You've never gotten your heart broken." Nathan mumbled.

Lucas's life long friend, Mouth McFadden, patted Nathan on the back. "Hey, I feel you man. I've gotten my heartbroken a bunch of times. It sucks."

Nathan smiled sadly, "How'd you deal with it?"

Mouth shrugged, "It gets better over time."

"It's been five years." Nathan sighed deeply.

Mouth's eyes widened, "Wow, that's a long time."

"Hey, I have a question, dawg." Antwon, 'skills' Taylor, asked.

"Yeah?" Nathan answered.

"You say you never want to get married, but picture this. Your standing at the alter, and you see Haley walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress. Would you want to get married then? " Skills asked.

Nathan's heart skipped at the thought. He had dreamed of that thought, at least a thousand times.

"Yeah. I would." Nathan answered honestly.

"Well then, there's your answer." Skills smiled.

Before Nathan could ask what he meant, he heard someone say "Okay, now this party really sucks!"

Lucas's other friend, Fergie then added "You're acting like a bunch of sissies. I bet the girls are having more fun than us."

* * *

"What number shot is this?" Peyton asked Haley who took another shot of tequila.

Haley laughed drunkenly. "I lost track after seven."

"Seven! God, Haley! That's a lot!"

Haley smiled and put her index finger over her lips, "Shh, don't tell anyone!"

"That's it Haley, you're not allowed to drink any more!" Peyton scolded.

"You're not my mom!" Haley slurred, and raised her hand to call over the bartender.

Peyton gave the bartender a stern glare, and he nodded. "I think your friend is right, lady. You're wasted."

Haley scoffed, "I'm not! I'm just a little tipsy!" She said as she fumbled off of the bar stool.

Peyton rolled her eyes, "Come on drunkie."

Haley huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you won't let me get another drink, I'll ask someone else to get one for me." She said as she stormed off.

Peyton tried to grab Haley's arm, but she was too fast, as she watched her get lost in a sea of people.

Haley knew she shouldn't drink any more but she was having too much fun to care. She saw a bunch of desperate men sitting in the corner of the bar, and figured they might be able to buy her another drink.

One of the men blew a whistle, causing Haley to blush.

"How you doing, hottie?" Another guy drawled out.

Haley bit her lip, and tried to tell herself to walk away. These guys looked like trouble, but she was drunk, and clearly wasn't in the right mind set.

"You think one of you guys want to buy be a drink?" She asked as she batted her eye lashes.

One of the guys smirked a sleazy smile, and he was starring straight at Haley's chest.

"I'll buy you a drink, if you do something for me in return." He answered.

Haley was beginning to feel uncomfortable under the mans gaze, but she wanted more liquor, so she went along with the act. "Okay." She slurred.

The man smirked and walked to the ordered Haley a Vodka on the Rocks.

"Here you go." He said as he handed Haley the glass. "My name's Joe by the way."

Haley smiled gratefully. "Thanks Joe. I'm Hales."

"Hales?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Haley giggled, "Oh no that's my nickname. My real name is Haley Bob."

Joe looked at Haley like she had five heads, but he didn't care if she was crazy. He usually found that the crazy drunk girls, were better in bed. He smirked at the thought.

"Okay Hales, what do you say we get out of here?" Joe smirked.

Haley took a long chug of her beverage and looked at Joe. He was wearing a v-neck navy blue shirt, that revealed his dark chest hair, and his hair was beginning to thin. He looked to be in his late thirties.

"Where are we going?" She asked innocently.

"We should go outside and get some air."

"Okay." Haley smiled and followed Joe out through the back door.

* * *

Nathan, Lucas, and the rest of the guys at the Bachelor Party decided to head down to Tric, and party with the girls. It would be a lot better than sitting around, eating pizza, and playing x-box.

The minute Nathan walked into Tric, his eyes swept across the bar, attempting to locate Haley. He searched everywhere for her, but couldn't find her anywhere, so he just assumed she was in the bathroom.

He laughed when he saw Brooke and her friends dancing crazily on the dance floor, but he noticed Peyton, who was pregnant, standing in the corner looking around the bar frantically, so he decided to go over to her.

"Hey Peyt, everything okay?" Nathan asked.

Peyton looked up with a mixture of worry and pain in her eyes.

"Thank god you're here!" She exclaimed.

"Why what's wrong?" Nathan asked in a high pitched tone.

"Haley's missing!" She cried.

Nathan's heart sank in his chest. "Wh-what do you mean?" He asked in a panicked voice.

"I don't know where she is!" Peyton screamed as she tried to call Haley's phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

"What the hell happened?" Nathan asked with concern laced in his voice.

"She was at the bar, and she got drunk, so I told her to stop drinking, but she walked away from me, and the last time I saw her, she was near a group of creepy guys. I haven't seen her since!" She explained.

Nathan felt his fists tighten and his jaw clench. "Shit!" He muttered.

"You have to help me!" Peyton cried.

Nathan took a deep breath in attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Okay, okay, just calm down." He said as he ran his hand over his face. "Do you see any of the guys she was with?"

Peyton shook her head, "No, I don't know what they looked like, but they were bad, Nate. They were hitting on her, and she was drunk-"

Nathan felt his blood starting to boil, and he wanted to punch someone. "Dammit! We need to find her!"

Peyton ran a hand through her curly blonde hair, "Okay, I'll ask Brooke if she's seen her, you go check the back or something."

Nathan nodded, "Okay, let me know if you find her." With that, the two separated, and Nathan went out the back door to try and find Haley.

It was dark, so he looked to the right and left, but still couldn't see. He was about to go back inside when he heard a scream. Nathan's head instantly snapped to the right where he saw a large man attempting to pick up a smaller figure.

Haley screamed out in desperation as she felt Joe trying to pick her up. "Come on Haley, I'm taking you back to my place. You promised to give me something in return."

Haley tried desperately to wiggle from his tight grasp, but he was too strong. "Let go of me!" She screamed,

Joe laughed viciously, "Come on baby, you know you want me."

"I don't!" She screamed and tried to kick him, but her senses were slowly fading.

"I see you like it rough." Joe chuckled, and ran his rough hands over Haley's body.

Haley let out another scream, but Joe put his hands over her mouth. "Save the screams for the bedroom." He smirked.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure running towards her. At first she thought it was her imagination, but then she heard the figure screaming.

"Let go of her!" Nathan screamed.

Joe stopped like a deer caught in headlights, and gulped. "Who the hell are you?"

Nathan had no time to think so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm her boyfriend."

Haley looked up at Nathan, and smiled. She may be drunk, but she wasn't stupid. Nathan just saved her life.

"Well your girlfriend's a slut!" Joe spat.

"Don't fucking talk about her like that!" Nathan screamed as he felt his hands ball into a tight fist.

"What are you going to do about it, punk?" Joe teased bitterly.

Nathan clenched his jaw, and before he could think twice, he drew back his fist and punched the guy straight in the eye.

"Get the hell of off me!" Joe screamed as he shoved Nathan against a wall.

"Haley! Run!" Nathan cried.

Haley was speechless as she watched the men fight. She had no idea what to do. "Nathan!" She screamed, as Joe punched him in the jaw.

Nathan saw Haley's eyes, and knew she was scared, so with all the strength he could muster, he pushed Joe off of him, and ran towards Haley. In one swift motion, he picked Haley up, and threw her over his shoulder. He ran straight towards his car, and quickly placed Haley in the back seat. Nathan looked behind him, and noticed that Joe was running to the car, so he jumped in the drivers seat and sped off down the road.

"How are you doing, Hales?" Nathan asked as he twisted his neck and checked on Haley.

Haley was clutching her stomach and suddenly her face turned green.

"I think I'm gonna be si-" Before she could finish her sentence, Haley puked all over Nathan's backseat. "I;m sorry!" She coughed.

Nathan sighed, "It's fine. Are you okay? Do you want me to stop driving?"

Haley shook her head. "It's okay, is that guy still chasing us?"

Nathan took a calming breath, "No, we lost him a while ago. I'm taking you back to my hotel Haley. You can't be alone tonight."

Haley just nodded. Her inhibitions were still foggy, and she was still wasted. "You're my hero Nathan." She slurred.

Nathan took a deep breath and tried not to smile. He kept telling himself she was drunk and didn't know what she was saying. When they got back to the hotel, Nathan carried Haley over to his bed and gently laid her across it. He looked at her outfit and frowned. She was wearing a tight black dress, and he knew she shouldn;t sleep in it.

"Come on Hales, I need to get you dressed." Nathan advised. "I'm going to give you a pair of my boxers and a shirt, okay? I just need you to take off your dress."

"Are we having sex?" Haley giggled.

Nathan almost laughed, "No, you need to sleep. You're going to have a nasty hangover tomorrow."

"I want to have sex with you Nathan." Haley said bluntly.

Nathan gulped, "No Haley."

"Why not? Am I ugly?" She cried.

Nathan sat down next to Haley on the bed, "No, you're not."

"Then why don't you want to sleep with me?"

"Because you're drunk." Nathan pointed out.

"So? I still want you." She said in a groggy tone.

"Believe me Hales, I want you more than you'll ever know, but not tonight, okay? You're drunk and I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You're the sweetest guy ever." Haley slurred.

Nathan just shrugged, "I just want to make sure you're safe."

"Do you still love me? Because I still love you." Haley mumbled.

Nathan sighed, this was the first time Haley ever said those words that he had been dying to hear forever, but he knew they weren't true. He didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Hales, you're drunk. Get some sleep, okay?"

Haley giggled as she wipped her dress off, revealing her black laced bra, and matching underwear.

Nathan's mouth went dry at the sight, but he quickly shook his head and gave Haley his clothes. "Put these on." He advised.

Haley laughed and threw her hands in the air, "You do it for me."

Nathan exhaled slowly and nervously slipped Haley's arms through his white t-shirt. He laid her back on the bed, and slightly lifted her in the air so he could slip on a pair of boxers for her.

"Good night Haley." He sighed, and was about to walk away but he felt Haley grab on to his arm, so he turned back to look at her.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Nathan bit his lip, "It's no problem."

Without thinking, Haley sprang up and wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Nathan was taken back at first, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. Haley had the softest lips. He could taste the alcohol on her breath so he snapped out of his trance. "I'm sorry. We can't do this now. You're drunk, and I don't want you to regret anything" He sighed.

Haley just simply nodded, and rolled over. "Thank you Nathan, I love you." She slurred and closed her eyes, and immediately drifted off to a deep slumber.

* * *

Haley's eyes slowly opened, revealing the bright sunlight. She let out a loud groan. It felt like there was a one thousand pound elephant sitting on her head. She was about to crawl back under her covers, when she suddenly realized she wasn't in her bed.

"Oh my god!" She screamed. "_Where the hell am I?"_ She thought. She quickly thought back to last night, but she was too drunk to remember anything. The last thing she remembered was asking that guy Joe for a drink...

Haley's eyes widened, and she glanced at herself. She wasn't naked, which was a good sign, but she was wearing a long white t-shirt and a pair of boxers. _Who's clothes are these?_ She thought again.

She bit her lip, and rubbed her eyes. Maybe it was just a dream? Haley wasn't the type to just go home and sleep with a random stranger. She'd only been with one guy before, and it was Nathan.

At that thought, Nathan suddenly walked out of the bathroom, with nothing but a towel around his neck, and a pair of blue basketball shorts. Haley tried her best not to stare, but it was pretty impossible. He looked like a greek god. His body was perfectly chiseled, and every muscle was defined, and the fact that he just got out of the shower, and little beads of water was dripping down his chest...

"Hey you're up." Nathan said as he noticed Haley starring at him with wide eyes.

Haley blushed, but quickly started to freak out again. "Why- what- when- how-?" She stuttered.

Nathan smiled and walked closer to Haley, "Okay, before you freak out, let me explain."

"Did we-?" She asked in a panicked tone, causing Nathan to chuckle.

"No, we didn't. Just let me explain, okay?"

Haley nodded, and watched as Nathan walked over to the small kitchen in his hotel suite, and he walked back and handed her two advils and a glass of water. "You might want to take these. It'll help with the hangover."

Haley groaned, but smiled slightly. "Thanks."

'So do you remember anything from last night?" Nathan asked with a knot in his stomach. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to remember or not.

Haley shook her head, "No."

"Okay so the reason why you're in my hotel room is because you got wasted and some creepy guy tried taking you, but I found you just in time, punched the guy, and took you home. I don't know where you live, and I know you couldn't be alone because you were really sick, and I was worried about you." Nathan explained.

Haley began to relax a little bit, and she couldn't explain the warm feeling in her chest that she got when Nathan said he saved her and was worried about her.

"So anyway, I put you on my bed, but you looked uncomfortable, so I gave you my clothes to sleep in."

Haley bit her lip at the question running through her mind, "How did I get dressed?"

"Oh um well you kind of flung your dress off..."

"Oh my god!' Haley shrieked with embarrassment.

Nathan laughed, "Yeah so I helped you get dressed, but don't worry. You still had on your... underwear." He said as he tried not to think about it, even though he barely slept because that image was playing back in his brain.

Haley hung her head in shame and she tried to hide her blush. "Oh god. I'm so sorry!"

Nathan smiled, "It's fine."

"What else happened?" She asked, even thought she dreaded the answer.

Nathan gulped. He figured he shouldn't tell her about the 'I love you' or the kiss.

"Um you kind of jumped me." He laughed.

Haley put her hands over her mouth. 'Oh my god! This is so embarrassing!" She uttered.

Nathan shrugged, "It's fine, you were dunk I understand, although you were pretty upset about it at the time."

Haley groaned loudly. "Ughhh!"

Nathan only smiled, "You asked if I thought you were ugly because I didn't want to sleep with you."

Haley blushed, "What did you say?"

"I said that you're definitely not ugly, and I couldn't sleep with you because you were drunk, and I would never, ever take advantage of you, or anyone else, like that." He explained truthfully.

Haley smiled widely, "Thank you."

"It's no problem."

"Where did you sleep last night?" Haley asked nervously.

Nathan pointed to the couch across from the television in the small living room.

"You slept on the couch?" Haley asked. "Nathan, you shouldn't have done that!"

Nathan shrugged, 'I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Yeah, but you should have put me on it instead."

"You were drunk. I couldn't let you do that. I barely even slept though. I was worried that you would choke on your vomit or something."

Haley ran her hand across her face, "Did I puke?"

"In my car... yeah."

Haley frowned, "I'm so sorry! I'm such an idiot.."

"No it's okay. Don't worry about it."

"I feel horrible about this Nathan."

"Don't. I told you, it's really okay." He smiled.

"I never drink like that! I can't believe some guy tried taking me home! I never do that!" Haley cried.

"Yeah, Peyton was freaking out when I got to Tric. We split up, and I eventually found you screaming and punching some guy."

Haley's eyes widened at the mention of Peyton, 'Oh my god! Peyton! They must be freaking out-"

Nathan placed a calming hand on Haley's shoulder, and tried to deny the sparks he felt at the contact. "It's okay, I already called her last night and explained everything. She's not worried anymore,but you should probably call her and tell her your okay."

Haley looked at her hands shyly, "Did anything else happen?"

Nathan felt his heart start to race at the memory of the kiss, and her revelation. "No." He lied.

Haley looked into Nathan's eyes, and could instantly tell there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Nathan looked away from her deep brown eyes, and sighed. He knew he should tell her about the kiss, because it was better to tell the truth. There was no way he would tell her that she said she loved him though. That was a can of worms that he did not want to open. Besides... it's not like she would remember. Right?

"Umm.." He stuttered, "Listen... don't freak out, but you kind of kissed me last night."

Haley's stomach twisted in a tight knot, and she blushed profusely. She then buried her face in her pillow and groaned. "Nathan- I'm so sorry!" She began.

Nathan just shook his head and smiled. "Haley, it didn't bother me. Don't worry about it okay? I'm not going to lie though, I kind of kissed you back for like a second, but I knew it was wrong so I pulled away, and then you basically passed out."

Haley blushed as she desperately tried to remember last night, but it was a complete haze.

"Are you mad?" Nathan asked shyly.

Haley smiled and pulled Nathan in for an unexpected hug. "No. I'm so happy that you saved me. I don't know what I would do with out you, Nathan."

Nathan felt his heart beating through his chest, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Haley pulled away from the tight hug, and looked into his warm blue eyes. "Thank you so much. I wish I could remember what happened last night, but all I know is that you saved me and you're amazing."

Nathan blushed slightly. "It's no problem. I was glad to help."

Haley dragged her lip through her teeth, and smiled shyly. "I'm sorry again."

"It's okay."

"I really can't thank you enough! You're an amazing friend." Haley exclaimed.

Nathan sighed, as he tried to ignore the aching in his heart. "That's what friends are for, right?" He said in his best 'happy' voice he could muster.

Haley's heart shattered. She wished Nathan would have said he cared about her more than a friend, but she knew that ship had sailed a long time ago. So instead of showing him how she really felt, she just put on a fake smile, and nodded. She was getting good at the whole 'fake happiness' kind of thing. After all, she has been doing it for five years.

* * *

**AHHHH! I hate to toot my own horn, but this chapter is one of my best work! (Considering I was up late writing) **

Thoughts? What do you want or think will happen next?

Tune in in 2 weeks to find out!

*title was a lyric from Luke Bryan's song 'Drunk On You'

I thought it fit perfectly


	12. Do You Remember?

**I'm back from Bermuda and I had an AMAZING time! It was honestly the most amazing and relaxing vacation I've ever been on, and I really needed it. The best night of my life though was the night before the trip, and the Jana Kramer concert. I GOT VIP TICKETS, AND I WAS PRACTICALLY TOUCHING THE STAGE. It was amazing. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Jana! She's such a good singer, and the best part is that she TOUCHED MY FREAKING HAND AND MADE EYE CONTACT WITH ME. Lol, I was freaking outttt. I almost got to meet her, but she had to leave before I got to, but it was still amazing. **

**On a bad note, I just got a job :( so now I have even less time to update, plus I need to do my summer reading shit for my AP classes next year. Ugh! It's going to take forever...**

**Also... It's official that Joy and Wes Ramsey are dating, so I'm in a depression and I want to jump off a cliff because I NEED HER AND JAMES TO BE TOGETHER. DAMMIT. Sorry, I needed to blow off some steam... I'm annoyed because In the interview I watched, it seemed like Joy and James aren't that close... waaaaa. It's okay, we still have Naley. Always and forever? **

**About Give Your Heart A Break, I WILL FINISH IT. I just don't have any inspiration right now, so I'm focusing on this instead. **

*******I****_MPORTANT NOTE: Last chapter I said the wedding was in two days, but I meant four, so this chapter is two days after the Bachelorette Party so NOW there are two days until the wedding! _**

* * *

*This flashback is three days after Nathan and Haley had met when they were 18 (So the day after they got lost on the beach- aka chapter 8*

_Haley leaned back against the white pool chair, as she took a long sip of her can of diet coke. Her eyes were fixed on the chiseled body of Nathan Scott, who was about to dive into the pool. Ever since she got back to her cabin last night, all she thought about was him, and Brooke's words:_ "_I think you should just go for it. Take a risk, Hales. I think it'll be worth it. I mean think about it: You being Nathan Scott's girlfriend. Even if it's for a little while."_

_She let out a long sigh, and bit her lip when she noticed Nathan swim to the top of the water, and he shook his head slightly to get the water out of his buzzed cut hair. Haley felt a small tingle in her spine, and licked her lips at the sight. He was the definition of hot. When Nathan looked over at her, Haley quickly diverted her eyes, and blushed. She hated it when Nathan caught her starring. It was so embarrassing because she was openly checking him out. How could she not though? He was shirtless and wet, and had a six pack for gods sake. Haley quickly grabbed her novel that was next to her, and stuck her nose behind it, to hide her blush. She read the same sentence about twenty times, because she couldn't concentrate, when Nathan was looking all hot and was only twenty feet away from her, splashing around with Lucas in the pool._

_"You're reading instead of swimming? What a nerd!" Haley heard a voice say._

_She looked up and felt her heart rate speed up, and playfully glared at Nathan. "It's my favorite book." She shrugged._

_Nathan furrowed his brow and chuckled, "The Notebook? What's that about?"_

_Haley gasped and placed the book back on the glass table next to her chair. "You've never heard of The Notebook?"_

_Nathan shook his head._

_"You have not lived!" Haley playfully accused._

_Nathan laughed, "I hate reading. I just watch the movies instead."_

_Haley smiled slyly, "Then I guess we'll have to watch the movie then."_

_"Okay." Nathan shrugged, obviously having no idea that it would be a romantic chick flick. "But for now, we're swimming. So get your hot ass up, and come in the pool with me." Nathan demanded._

_Haley blushed when she heard Nathan refer to her 'hot ass' and timidly got up. She slowly pulled off her white cover up, and revealed her green bikini, with light blue polka dots on it.. _

_Nathan watched as Haley pulled off her cover up and felt the drool oozing from his mouth. Nathan gulped in attempt to swallow the large lump in his throat. Haley had the hottest body he had ever seen, and all he wanted to do was lean across the chair and kiss her, but he quickly stopped that thought before it progressed. _

_"You ready?" Haley asked._

_Nathan couldn't speak, so he only nodded._

_"Is the water cold?" Haley asked._

_"Uh, what?" Nathan asked. He saw her lips moving, but couldn't hear anything._

_Haley giggled. "The water. Is it cold?"_

_"Oh, um, no- not really." Nathan said quickly._

_Haley walked over to the edge of the pool, where two little girls were splashing each other. She leaned over and dipped a small part of her foot in the water to test the temperature. It was colder than she thought, but the sun was sweltering, so she made her way over to the ladder and was about to climb in, but Nathan had other plans._

_He quickly walked over to her and lifted her in his arms, bridal style._

_"Nathan, what are you doing?" She giggled._

_"I'm throwing you in." He smirked and walked to the edge of the pool._

_"Don't you dar-" She began, but before she could finish scolding him, he threw her into the deep section of the pool, and jumped in right after her, creating a huge splash._

_After the shock wore off, Haley swam back to the surface and took a deep breath. "Nathan Scott! I'm going to kill you!" She scolded playfully._

_Nathan chuckled and swam away from her as quickly as possible. Haley laughed and swam over to Nathan and jumped on his back._

_"Haley!" He whined playfully. _

_Haley kept slashing Nathan, and jumping on him, until Brooke swam over to them and cleared her throat._

_"And what's going on over here?" She asked with a smirk._

_Haley bit her lip and instantly climbed off of Nathan. "Uh nothing." She replied casually._

_"Haley was just attacking me." Nathan joked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes and shoved him lightly. Nathan dramatically crashed back into the water and pretended to drown. He came back up and gasped for air. "See? She's trying to kill me. I swear!" _

_Haley giggled and looked at Brooke who had her eyebrows raised and continued to smirk. "It seems to me like you two are seriously flirting." Brooke accused._

_Haley blushed and looked over at Nathan who gulped nervously. "We're just playing around." Haley said shyly._

_Brooke rolled her eyes, "That's called flirting Haley."_

_Nathan laughed and suddenly grabbed Haley's hand, and looked into her big brown eyes. "So what? Maybe I want to flirt with you." He admitted as if he and Haley were the only two people in the pool._

_Haley quickly looked away from Nathan's intense stare and blushed._

_Nathan noticed that Haley was embarrassed and smiled. "I'm serious Haley. Look at me."_

_Haley bit her lip and ignored Brooke's loud squeal, and looked into Nathan's clear blue eyes._

_"I like flirting with you." He admitted. Nathan placed his thumb under her chin and smiled. "Come with me." He said once he realized Brooke was listening._

_Haley glanced at Brooke and shrugged, but quickly swam over to the pool ladder and followed Nathan. _

_Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and guided her to a more secluded spot on a small dock that over looked the beach and was under two palm trees._

_"Look, I know we just met, but I really can't stop thinking about you. The feelings I am experiencing aren't normal, and I think I have a crush on you, but I really don't know what to do about it, and I just thought you should know." Nathan admitted._

_Haley giggled softly at how adorable and vulnerable Nathan was acting. _

_'Why are you laughing?" Nathan asked nervously._

_Haley laughed even harder at the look on Nathan's face. _

_Nathan sighed in defeat and was about to walk away when he felt Haley grab his arm._

_"I'm sorry." She laughed again. _

_"It's not funny! I've never felt this way before and it scares me, and now you're laughing-" Nathan huffed._

_"Nathan, relax. You have nothing to be worried about." Haley said calmly._

_"Then why are you laughing? I'm already freaking out. I just put my heart on the line, and I wasn't expecting you to laugh!"_

_"I'm sorry, it's just really cute how vulnerable you're acting." She gushed._

_Nathan blushed slightly, "Oh."_

_"But for the record." She began, and smiled bashfully. "I kind of have a crush on you too."_

_Nathan instantly looked up and his smile burst with excitement. "Really?"_

_Haley nodded, "Really." She confirmed._

_"So what does this mean?" Nathan asked. "I've never really had a crush on anyone before."_

_Haley smiled, "Well I'd like to get to know you better, and hang out a lot, because you're really fun to be around and it's easy to talk to you... and you're not so bad on the eyes." She joked._

_Nathan smirked, "I can say the same about you."_

_Haley giggled and starred at her feet._

_"So does this mean I get to take you out on a date?" Nathan asked eagerly._

_Haley looked up and grinned. "Play your cards right, and you just might." She joked._

_"What does that mean?" Nathan laughed._

_"You just have to prove to me that you're worth my time." She joked._

_Nathan smirked, "Challenge accepted."_

* * *

Haley groaned as she heard her alarm clock beeping loudly, and she rolled over to hit snooze. She groaned as she realized she had yet another flashback from her summer five years ago. Most people had dreams about things that never happened, but ever since Nathan came back to Tree Hill she had been having flashbacks about their relationship from five years ago. Haley quickly got dressed, and walked into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee and get ready for work. She had only two weeks left in the school year, and then she would be off for the summer. Haley really loved her job, and she formed a special connection with each one of her students, so she would truly miss them. She was going to have to take off in two days, Wednesday, because it was Brooke and Lucas's wedding. They made it in the middle of the week because it was the only day the reception hall was available, or they would have to wait another seven months.

Once Haley finished eating her breakfast and getting ready for the day, she walked out to her car and drove to work. As she sat in small traffic, she clicked on the radio to help pass the took a few seconds to listen and laughed sardonically to herself.

"Not again." She groaned after listening to the lyrics. It was yet, another song about a summer romance. As if she needed another reminder about her tradic romance with a certain raven haired, blue eyed man.

_Where are you now?_  
_Who's holdin' you now?_  
_When your world stands still, do you remember?_  
_Leave were fallin'_  
_We were fallin'_  
_Almost like a dream, do you remember?_

_Seasons changed_  
_We both changed_  
_Sometimes I go back to when_

_We ran, put our feet in the water_  
_We danced, didn't care who could see_  
_We sang every song to each other_  
_Summer would end, but not for me_  
_I still feel the hope in your kisses_  
_I still feel the sun on your skin_  
_I swear I was holdin' forever back then_  
_Do you remember?_

_Where I am now_  
_Is where I should be now_  
_You're so far away, but always with me_

_And it seems like_  
_Another life_  
_Whenever I go back to when_

_We ran, put our feet in the water_  
_We danced, didn't care who could see_  
_We sang every song to each other_  
_Summer would end, but not for me_  
_I still feel the hope in your kisses_  
_I still feel the sun on your skin_  
_I swear I was holdin' forever back then_  
_Do you remember?_

_We ran, we kissed, we learned to love, to live_

_We ran, put our feet in the water_  
_We danced, didn't care who could see_  
_We sang every song to each other_  
_Summer would end, but not for me_  
_I still feel the hope in your kisses_  
_I still feel the sun on your skin_  
_I swear I was holdin' forever back then_  
_Do you remember?_  
_Do you remember?_

As soon as the song ended Haley pulled into her normal parking spot at Tree Hill High, and entered the building.

"Good Morning, Lisa." Haley greeted the lady at the front desk.

"Hi, Miss. James. How are you today?" She asked sweetly.

"I'm great." She lied. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks." Lisa replied.

"Alright well I'll see you later." Haley stated and made her way to her class room.

"Have a nice day!" Lisa called after her.

Haley sighed as she turned on the lights and made her way to her desk. She couldn't stop thinking about Nathan, and the night that he saved her. She hasn't seen him since, because she was embarrassed that she drunk kissed him. Haley then remembered her conversation with Brooke that day after she left Nathan's hotel room, and groaned.

* * *

_"What the hell happened to you last night?" Brooke screamed as she opened her front door to a teary eyed Haley._

_"I got drunk." Haley admitted shyly._

_"Do you know how worried I was about you? Peyton said that some creepy guy took you!" Brooke shouted._

_Haley placed her hands on her head and sighed, "I know, I know. I was stupid, okay? But Nathan saved me, and the only thing I remember is waking up this morning in his room and freaking out."_

_"Wait, wait- you went to Nathan's hotel room last night?" Brooke asked with wide eyes._

_Haley nodded in confirmation._

_"Did you do anything?" Brooke asked._

_Haley rolled her eyes, "No, I mean I don't think so... He told me we didn't, and I trust him, but he did say that I kissed him." She groaned._

_Brooke suddenly shrieked happily and a wide smile adjourned her face. "Hales, this is great!"_

_"No it's not!" Haley groaned. "We're supposed to be friends, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less, and I totally screwed it up! God, this just got even more awkward and confusing." She complained._

_"Do you know what this means?" Brooke asked happily._

_Haley shook her head. "I don't know, Brooke. You tell me."_

_"There's going to be a Naley reunion." She said excitedly._

_"What does that mean?"_

_"You forgot what Naley means?" Brooke asked shocked._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Of course I know what it means. But what do you mean by a reunion?"_

_"You and Nathan are going to reunite, profess your love for each other, have sex, get married, have more sex, then have a baby, more like five babies, and then-" She ranted._

_Haley laughed, and playfully slapped Brooke on her arm. "Okay. First of all you're crazy, and second of all that's never going to happen."_

_Brooke huffed, "Actually it will happen because you guys are meant for each other!"_

_"Brooke, it was one kiss, and I was drunk. It didn't mean anything."_

_"A KISS ALWAYS MEANS SOMETHING!" Brooke shouted. "Just stop denying it. You want to be with Nathan again, but you're too shy and stubborn to do anything about it." Brooke advised. "At least Drunk Haley knows what she wants." She huffed._

_Haley threw her head back and let out a long sigh. "I can't wait for this wedding to be over, and I'll get to stop pretending to be friends with Nathan."_

_"So does this mean you're going to tell him you want him?"_

_"No." Haley said simply. "I can't do that. He's going back to Charlotte, and he's in the NBA. It'll never even work."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes, "Well would it hurt to try?"_

_Haley shrugged, "I don't know Brooke. I'm just really confused right now, and I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do."_

_"Are you still going to bring a date to my wedding?" Brooke asked._

_Haley sighed, "Yeah, I think I'm going to ask my friend Chase."_

_"Um, why?" Brooke asked in a high pitched voice._

_"Because Nathan's bringing some slut." Haley spat bitterly._

_"Are you really going to play that game?" Brooke asked rolling her eyes._

_Haley inhaled sharply. "Well yeah. I can't go alone and watch him be all over some slut."_

_"Are you jealous?"_

_"Maybe." Haley admitted._

_Brooke snickered, "So you're going to bring someone just to see if it makes Nathan jealous?"_

_Haley bit her lip, "Is that wrong of me?"_

_"No, but this is going to be fun." Brooke muttered sarcastically. _

* * *

Haley sighed as she recalled their conversation. The words "A Kiss always means something" kept replaying in her mind. She also needed to make up her mind if she should tell Nathan how she feels or not. A part of her wants to, but the other half is screaming that she shouldn't. She also knew what she needed to do, and what she wanted to do.

The bell signalling the start of first period suddenly rang and Haley quickly dismissed her thoughts about Nathan, and greeted her students.

"Hey Miss. James!" She heard a student say.

"Hi Jamie. How are you?"

"Tired." Jamie replied.

Haley laughed, "Me too."

"Miss. James!" Another student screamed as she ran into the class room.

Haley smiled widely, "Hey Jill."

"I love your dress!" Jill complimented.

"Thank you." Haley replied sweetly.

"I can't believe school ends in two weeks. I'm going to miss you!" Haley heard another student say.

"Yeah. You're my favorite teacher." Gina cried.

"I'm going to miss you guys too." Haley frowned. It was the truth. This year was Haley's first year teaching, and she became attached to her students right away.

"What are you doing this summer?" Jordan asked.

Haley pursed her lips together and thought about it. "Maybe go down to Holden Beach. Have you ever been there?"

"I did! It's beautiful there!" Sara shouted.

"It is." Haley smiled. "I had a lot of amazing memories there when I was younger."

"Are you going with anyone?" Kacey asked.

Haley laughed, "Maybe with some friends."

"Miss. James, are you sure you don't have a boyfriend? You're so pretty!" Lucy called out.

Haley giggled, "Thanks, but no I don't have a boyfriend." When the bell rang again she clapped three times, and cleared her throat. "Okay enough about my life, we need to get back to reading 'Pride and Prejudice.'"

The students let out a long audible groan.

Haley laughed, "Oh come on guys, it's not that bad!"

"It's boring!" A student shouted.

"I don't even understand anything."

Haley smiled at her students and opened her book to the page they left off on. "It's a classic love story. It's my favorite book."

"I thought 'The Notebook' was." Haley heard a very familiar voice say. She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Holy crap! Nathan Scott is here!" Jamie screamed.

Haley felt her stomach twist into a tight knot, and a lump formed in the back of her throat.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?" Haley asked as she turned around.

Nathan stood in the door way of Haley's classroom holding a bouquet of purple flowers, and was slightly shaking.

"I um wanted to talk to you."

A chorus of 'Ohh and aww's' were heard throughout the classroom.

Haley bit her lip, "Nathan, I'm teaching..."

"I know and I'm sorry but this was the only place I knew I could find you." He said nervously.

"Why didn't you just ask Brooke for my number?" Haley whispered loudly.

"..I don't know." Nathan gulped.

Haley looked over at her class and sighed. "Okay class, finish reading chapter 8. I'll be right back."

"Are you guys dating?" Someone called out.

"Can I have you're autograph?" A boy in front asked Nathan.

"You're so hot!" A blonde girl screamed.

Haley exhaled deeply and pulled Nathan out into the hallway. "Nathan, what is so important that you had to interrupt me from work for?" She asked quickly.

"I-I just wanted to know if you were okay." Nathan said lamely.

"What?" Haley asked as she ran her hands through her hair. "I'm fine, why?"

"I mean, I haven't talked to you since I rescued you and I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Nathan explained.

Haley smiled, and she felt her heart warming because he was so concerned about her. "Yeah I'm good now. Thank you for saving me." She said shyly and lightly swatted his shoulder. "I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."

"Be my date to Brooke and Lucas's wedding." Nathan said firmly.

Haley's smile instantly faltered and she felt her blood turn cold, as her mind flash backed to last night.

* * *

_"Oh, Hey Haley, what are you doing here?" Chase Adams asked as he opened his door to a smiling Haley._

_"I need a huge favor." She begged._

_Chase laughed, "Okay, what's up?"_

_"Brooke and Lucas are getting married on Wednesday, and I need a date." She rushed out._

_"Haley, I'm flattered but we tried dating and we both agreed we were better off friends-" Chase explained._

_"I know, I know. I don't mean it like that. I just need you to come with me, as a friend, but we can tell people you're my date." Haley explained quickly._

_Chase smirked, "Oh I get it. Nathan's going isn't he?"_

_Haley bit her lip and looked at her feet. "Yeah." She said shyly._

_Chase laughed, "Well in that case, then I'd love to be your fake date, and make him jealous."_

_"Thank you!" Haley exclaimed and jumped up to hug him. "You're the best!"_

_Chase smiled, and ruffled Haley's hair. "I'd do anything to piss Nathan off. Especially after seeing you cry over him every single day."_

_Haley rolled her eyes, "Yeah well he's bringing some slut, so if I was there alone I would either kill her, or myself, so that's why I'm glad you're coming."_

_Chase nodded, "I get it. And don't worry we'll make him realize what he's missing out on."_

* * *

"Uh what?" She asked Nathan.

"Will you be my date at the wedding? I mean I'm the best man and you're the maid of honor, so I'd really like it if we could go together, and you know- go as like a couple, and I can show people how hot my date is." He stuttered.

Haley took a deep breath, "Nathan- I don't know what to say."

"Say yes." Nathan smiled.

"I thought you were going with that Alex girl.." Haley stammered.

"I never asked her. I was going to, but I changed my mind. I decided I didn't want to bring some random girl. I wanted to bring someone who means something to me, and that's you. You're the only one who has ever meant anything to me-"

"Nathan, please, stop."

"I'm sorry, we don't have to consider it a date, we can go as friends-"

"SAY YES!" Haley heard her students screaming through her classroom.

"Yeah, listen to your students. Say yes, Hales. Please?" Nathan begged.

"MISS. JAMES! SAY YES!"

"HE'S SO HOT!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S ASKING YOU OUT!"

Students were screaming through the door.

Nathan chuckled, but Haley stood like a statue, and felt her palms begin to sweat.

"Nathan, I would love to go with you-"

Nathan smiled widely, "Really? Yes! You just made my day! Thank you!"

"...but I'm already going with someone else." She said barely above a whisper.

Nathan felt like he suddenly got hit by a bus. All of the air had been knocked out of his lungs, and he couldn't breathe. He didn't think it was ever possible to be so elated one second, and then depressed the next second- until today.

Nathan hung his head in sorrow. "Oh." Was all he could say.

"I'm so sorry. I mean, I guess I can cancel with him-" She cried.

Nathan shook his head, "No, no. You don't have to do that, it's fine. I should have known you were going with someone. I'm sorry. I need to go." He rushed out, and quickly handed Haley the purple flowers. "These were for you." He whispered, and quickly walked down the hallway. As soon as he made it outside he punched his car door, and sped away as quick as possible.

Haley stood in the hallway with a large lump in her throat, as she held out the bouquet of purple flowers that she always loved.

_He remembered_. Was all she thought at that moment. She felt like the biggest bitch in the world. She led Nathan on, and here he was being all romantic and sweet, and once again she broke his heart. Haley wanted to punch herself in the face.

_"I knew I shouldn't have asked Chase..."_ She thought.

Haley shamefully walked back into her class and placed the flowers on her desk. Her students looked at her with a mixture of pity, sorrow, anger, and betrayal in their eyes.

The classroom was eerily quiet until one girl stood up and shouted, "I can't believe you just turned down Nathan Scott!"

Haley bit her lip to try and keep her tears at bay.

"How do you know him?" Another student asked.

Haley swallowed the lump in her throat.

"He was my first and only love." She whispered.

* * *

**DRAMA! Next chapter is the wedding. I start work tomorrow, so on my break I'm going to write, because I can't wait.**

**Thoughts? **

the song was "Do You Remember?" By my love, Blake Shelton lol


	13. For Better or for Worse

**I lied. (Don't hate me) I said this chapter will be the wedding, but that's NEXT chapter. This chapter HAD to happen before the wedding. It's crucial information!**

**And a lot of you in your reviews told me that you hated Haley, and I feel bad about that, because I didn't want to make her evil- I wanted to make the story more realistic. Obviously Naley can't get back right away, the twists and turns are the whole point of the story so unfortunately the characters have to go through certain plots to get to the happy ending, so I'm sorry if you disagree.. maybe this chapter will change your mind about her?**

**I hope people are still interested, so don't be afraid to drop a review.. it keeps me motivated and you guys are amazing! So thanks for the support :)**

* * *

"Okay class, forget 'Pride and Prejudice' for now." Haley said to her students, who burst into a fit of cheers. "We're doing something else today." She quickly cleared her throat, and clasped her hands together. "I want you to write about a person who has made the biggest impact on your life."

"What do you mean?" One student asked.

"Write an essay, or a letter, or a paragraph about someone who changed your life, for better or worse." Haley clarified.

The students then took out their writing utensils and journals and pondered what to write about. Haley made it over to her desk and began spilling her heart on the paper. After about thirty minutes of constant writing, and hardly lifting the pen off of the paper, Haley looked up and realized there were only five minutes left remaining.

"If you didn't finish, that's okay, but for right now, I'm going to share with you what I wrote." Haley said.

Her eleventh grade English class finished what they were writing, and looked up with wide eyes, curious as to what their English Teacher wrote about.

She quietly cleared her throat and looked down at the paper.

"Nathan Scott. The six foot two, NBA player, with short raven hair and dazzling blue eyes, changed my life forever. On May 31st, 2008, I looked into those fierce blue eyes for the first time in my life, and little did I know, that those eyes would haunt me for the rest of my life. Over the next three months, I watched those eyes. I saw them turn a deeper blue when he would stare at me, and I saw them flicker in the light when he was happy. I also saw them shed tears on the day we parted. I grew to not only love his eyes, but everything else about him.

His cocky smirk. It literally drove me crazy! It made me mad whenever he smirked, but it was also him. It made him even more attractive then I thought was possible. I also grew to love the tiny black freckle underneath his left eye. The way he smelt made my heart burst through my chest. Just a simple look into those warm blue eyes, or a simple kiss, made those giant butterflies in my stomach flip up and down. I didn't know it at the time, but that was what love felt like. I was in love with Nathan Scott. I still am. Five years later, and when I look into those same blue eyes, those butterflies in my stomach still flip, and my heart still hammers in my chest. Nathan Scott is responsible for that. What am I responsible for? Breaking his heart. I'm not proud of it, nor did I plan on it. I was a selfish eighteen year old girl, and I was scared of getting my own heart broken, so instead, I broke the heart that was the only thing that ever meant anything to me. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time, but looking back now, it was my biggest mistake I've ever made- and guess what? Five years later, I'm paying the price. My heart is still broken, and it yearns to look into those familiar blue eyes with a loving look that I once remember seeing.

So let me tell you a story about Nathan Scott. Out of all the memories, and times we shared, there is one moment that I will never, ever forget. I don't want to forget any memory with him, but there is a certain memory that really sticks with me, and if you ask me why, I will have no idea how to answer. Because honestly, I don't know why I always remember this, but I just do.

It was August 10th, 2008. My sister Vivian was getting married right here in Tree Hill. Nathan and I, were in Holden Beach for that summer, but I drove up to Tree Hill for the wedding. Nathan came with me, because he was my date. I remember how nervous he was because this would be the first time he met my entire family. I mean, we were only dating for less than two months, and the poor guy was about to pass out from nerves. He said he'd never really had a girlfriend before, and he'd never met a girl that he likes, family, and he was afraid that my family wouldn't like them.

Anyway, he dressed up in a tux and everything, and god, he was so handsome. My family loved him. All of my uncles bonded over basketball, and my aunts thought he was cute. My sisters were happy that I was happy. I don't know anyone who didn't love him. My one sister, Taylor, liked him a little too much. She actually grabbed his face and KISSED him! God, I was pissed! She claimed she was drunk, but I knew she wasn't. Nathan was so shocked, and embarrassed, He felt horrible. I wasn't mad at him, because he instantly pushed her off of him, and he claimed I was a way better kisser but, I slapped her right across the face. She kept flirting with him the entire night, but Nathan was a trooper. I know he was getting annoyed but he was polite, and put up with her. He never flirted with her back, and I knew he was too good to be true, You know why? Because every single guy I've ever liked, liked my sister Taylor. My first boyfriend cheated on me with her. I was nervous that it would happen with Nathan too. Taylor had always been so much prettier than me, and I never thought I was good enough- until Nathan. Nathan made me feel like I was a queen. He made me the happiest girl alive. He chose me over my sister, and he never even looked at her twice. He wanted me and only me, and just for that- I fell in love with him.

He was perfect. Sure we had disagreements and didn't always like the same things, but he was really the best boyfriend a girl could dream of. He was my Romeo. My prince. The love of my life. I didn't know that at the time. He had to leave in order for me to realize it.

I'll never forget that night. We danced to a few slow songs. I remember every single one that played. I never wanted that night to end. It was truly perfect. He held me in his arms, and I had never felt happier. The moment was just perfect. He had his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and I felt so safe. I rested my head on his chest, and closed my eyes, just feeling the moment. I close my eyes sometimes and try to picture that moment, because that was the best night of my life,

I remember he whispered in my ear and he said, "The next time we dance at a wedding, it will be ours."

Normally, girls would freak out about that. After all, we had only been together for two months, but when he said that, I smiled so wide, my cheeks actually hurt. My future flashed before my eyes, and I felt so happy. I didn't even think about the fact we'd be going to two different colleges in less than a month, but instead, I pictured dancing with him in a white dress. walking down the aisle, I saw us moving in a house with a white picket fence, and having five kids- because that's the number we agreed on- and a dog, and growing old together, with tons of grandchildren to spoil. That whole scenario just felt so settling, and I was so happy. I didn't want to say anything to ruin the moment, so I just leaned up and kissed him. I poured all of my emotions into the kiss, and I was shocked he didn't realize I loved him. I don't know why I didn't say it, because I sure as hell felt it.

I was never sure of anything in my life, more than I was sure that I loved Nathan Royal Scott, I should have said it. I want to punch myself all the time when I think about it. So the lesson I learned is that you should ALWAYS tell people how you are feeling. Never hold anything back, because now I have to live with this regret. Who knows, maybe Nathan and I would be married by now, with a baby on the way, if I told him I loved him that night. I had a thousand chances to say it, and I never did. I hate myself, I really do. If I was Nathan I would hate me too, especially after all I've put him through. I have to stop living in the past, and move on. I can't keep thinking 'what if?'. It's just not healthy. Today is now. The past is done. The only thing I can do is try and alter my future, because I want my future with Nathan. I want to dance with him at our wedding. I want to fight over the amount of kids we're going to have. And most of all, I want to grow old with him. I want to be his always and forever. But once again, I think I've royally screwed up that opportunity.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you never know what happens in life, so just don't hold anything back, I never told Nathan how I felt. He told me he loved me on the last day before we left for college. I had been waiting for him to say that since our first date, and you know what I did? Take a wild guess. That's right, I ran away. Actually, I pushed him away- but it still had the same result: both of our hearts were broken. So I am an idiot. I don't care how many 100's I got on tests- I am still stupid, until proven otherwise. I let the best thing that ever happened to me slip right through my hands. I was so wrapped up in the possibility of getting hurt, that I didn't realize I hurt myself and Nathan anyway. So he told me he loved me and I pushed him away. So don't do that. If someone says they love you, don't think about the future- think about that moment and say it back. Don't make the same mistake I did.

So yes, Nathan Scott changed my life- for better AND for worse. It was better because he brought out something in me I never knew was even possible. He taught me how to love, and be carefree. That night of the wedding, his car broke down, so we walked to a motel in the rain. Most people would have been pissed or annoyed or whatever, but we had fun. We FELT the rain. We danced, and kissed, and it was like a movie but better-because it was real- it was my life. We were completely saturated and our clothes were ruined but we didn't care because we had each other. I would do anything to have that night again. So if I could go back, I would change some things. But I can't, and now I'm going to live in hell with out him- so that's why he made my life worse. Well technically I made my life worse because he never did anything wrong. In fact he was completely and utterly amazing the entire relationship. So no, he did not make my life worse- I did. He was and always will be the best thing that ever happened to me."

Haley finished reading her paper, and her entire class stood up clapping and cheering with a standing ovation. She smiled shyly and a light blush crept on her cheeks.

"That was deep, Miss. J!" Quentin Fields shouted.

"Amazing." Jill complimented.

"I love you!" Another girl shouted.

Haley laughed, "Thank you guys."

"You should read that to Nathan!" Joe advised.

Haley bit her lip, "Oh no, I can't."

"Why not?" Another student asked.

"I just... I don't know. I can't." Haley answered and pressed her lips together.

"You should, I think he would really like it."

Before Haley could answer, the bell rang and her students filed out of her classroom, leaving her alone at her desk and starring at the tiny purple flowers Nathan gave her.

* * *

"Hey man, how'd it go?" Lucas asked eagerly as he opened his door to find a pissed off Nathan.

"Like shit." Nathan answered curtly.

"What? Why? What happened?" Lucas asked.

"She fucking said no, that's what happened!" Nathan shouted.

"Okay man, calm down-"

"Calm down?" Nathan snorted. "Once again, the love of my life, stood me up. You really expect me to calm down?"

"Okay poor choice of words, sorry..." Lucas defended himself. "This just has to be some mistake. Haley wants you back Nate, so why would she say no?"

"She's going with someone else." Nathan whispered sadly.

"Are you kidding?"

Nathan's head shot up and he glared at his cousin.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no." Lucas mumbled.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "I'm done Luke. I give up. Every time I put my heart on the line, she steps on it. I can't keep doing this. It's not worth it."

"It's not?"

"No. I thought it was, but it's not. She doesn't want me Luke, so why should I even fight it?"

"This doesn't make any sense! Haley never got over you-"

"Well it sure seems she's over me." Nathan replied in a hurt voice.

"Did she anything else?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shook his head, "I didn't give her the chance. I left."

"Aw man. I'm sorry." Lucas frowned and pulled Nathan in for a quick hug.

Nathan shrugged, "It's whatever. I just made myself look like a complete ass in front of a bunch of seventeen year olds though."

"So what are you going to do?" Lucas pried.

"I guess I'm bringing Alex as my date." Nathan sighed.

* * *

"What did Nathan do now?" Brooke asked as Haley walked into Brooke's store, 'Clothe's over Bro's.'

Haley laughed through her tears and quickly wiped them away. "Nothing, you should be asking me 'What did you do to break Nathan's heart again?"

"Uh oh. What happened?" Brooke asked.

Haley sighed and lifted herself to sit on the counter. "He came in, all romantic, with flowers and asked me to be my date for the wedding-"

"That's so precious!" Brooke gushed.

Haley took a deep breath and bit her lip, "I know..."

"So you obviously said yes, right?"

"Um no." Haley said shyly.

Brooke furrowed her brows and slapped Haley across the cheek.

"Ow!" Haley exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"For saying no! Are you an idiot?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you say no?"

"Because I'm going with Chase!"

Another slap.

"Ow, Brooke! Would you stop that, please?" Haley scolded.

"Sorry, but why would you go with Chase? Are you on something?"

Haley rolled her eyes, "I asked him only because I thought Nathan was bringing that Annie girl-"

"You mean Alex?"

"Yeah whatever her stupid name is." Haley huffed.

"So why can't you cancel with him and go with Nathan?" Brooke advised.

"That's what I want to do!" Haley exclaimed, "But Nathan said no, and walked away. Once again, I screwed everything up!"

Brooke sighed and hugged her friend, "It's okay Hales, everything will be okay. If it's meant to be, it will happen..."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Haley whispered.

"Just because you're going with Chase doesn't mean you still can't dance and flirt with Nate you know..." Brooke smiled coyly.

Haley giggled, "Oh Brooke, what would I do without you?"

"Die." Brooke said simply.

"You're probably right." Haley sighed, "But Nathan hates me now..."

"I doubt that." Brooke replied.

"He definitely does. He keeps putting himself out there, and all I do is hurt him-"

"You don't do it on purpose..."

"But still, it happens, and I feel bad. I would have loved to have gone with him. Maybe, just maybe, we could have worked things out."

"You still can." Brooke responded positively.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I just want this wedding to be over already." Haley huffed.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter will the wedding. Can't wait! Lots of drama ;)**


	14. Making Plans

**I know a lot of you guys are getting upset that Naley isn't together get but I PROMISE you it will happen very very very very soon... Two big things have to happen before they could get together, but PLEASE stay with me. I promise you it'll be worth it. Thanks for reading, and all the lovely reviews as always.**

**Unfortunately there isn't any drama in this chapter, but don't worry, I already started writing the next chapter and every line is filled with angst and drama... I had to split the wedding ceremony and the reception in two parts because otherwise it would have been over bearing. Thanks for reading, and PLEASE stay with me. I promise it'll be worth it... I happen to like when it takes a while for a couple to get together, but I'm sorry for those of you who are getting annoyed. Without further ado, I present to you, Chapter 14.(Based on the song, Makin' Plans by Miranda Lambert, listen to it!) Enjoy! xoxo**

* * *

Haley stood in front of Brooke as she helped to place the small tiara on her head.

"You look beautiful, Brookie." Haley complimented as she felt tears forming in her large brown eyes.

Brooke smiled and stood up, grabbing her best friend's hand. The two women stood in front of a long mirror, as they stared at their reflections.

Brooke had on a long, white, satin wedding gown, that she designed herself. It was simple, yet extremely elegant. The top had a sweetheart neckline, and the dress was fit to conform her body.

Haley had on a long silk red dress, that cinched at her thin waist. The top, was a v-neck, which showed little cleavage, yet it was still classy. Brooke had also designed the bridesmaids dresses.

"Thank you Haley. For everything. You are the best friend any one could ever want, and I'm lucky that you're my best friend. You're practically my sister- you've always been there for me and I can't thank you enough. I love you, Hales." Brooke said as she felt her own tears pooling behind her eyes.

Haley felt a small tear roll down her cheek. "I love you too, and I'm so happy for you Tigger. I can't think of two people who deserve each other more than you and Luke."

"Thank you." Brooke cried. "Now stop all this mushy gushy-ness! You're making me cry and then my make up will get ruined and I don't want to look like a bridezilla!" She joked lightheartedly.

Haley giggled and hugged Brooke one more time. "You really do look gorgeous."

"Thanks, Hales. So do you."

"I would hope so. After all, it is a Brooke Davis original." Haley smiled.

Brooke playfully rolled her eyes, and pulled Haley in for one last hug. "I can't believe I'm going to be Mrs. Scott."

"You and Luke are perfect for each other. I can't believe my two best friends fell in love, and are about to be married!" Haley marveled.

Brooke smiled widely, "I can't believe it either." She laughed. "Speaking of people who are perfect for each other, I bet I won't be the only Mrs. Scott around here." Brooke winked.

"What are you talking about?" Haley laughed.

"The next time we're at a wedding I guarantee our roles will be reversed. You'll be the one marrying a certain blue eyed, raven haired Scott, named Nathan." Brooke gushed.

Haley blushed slightly, "I highly doubt that."

"I'm serious! Do you remember that one night during the summer at Holden Beach when we stayed up all night talking about our dream weddings?" Brooke asked.

Haley bit her lip, and her mind instantly flash backed to that night Brooke was talking about.

* * *

_August 19th, 2008:_

_"I miss Nathan." Haley pouted as she rolled her self up in a ball on the couch._

_"I miss Lucas." Brooke huffed and sprawled out on the floor of the cabin._

_"You guys are pathetic!" Peyton snickered. "The guys leave for one night to see some basketball game, and you're sitting around moping and crying! We should be having fun!"_

_"I haven't seen Nathan for five hours and I haven't talked to him in two hours! This is like the longest we've gone without talking all summer!" Haley wined._

_Peyton rolled her eyes, "You go to sleep for nine hours every night and you don't talk to him. Get over it!"_

_"Oh cut her some slack, P. Sawyer! It's her first love, and she's love sick. Isn't that right Hales?" Brooke asked._

_Haley's head shot up from her hands and her eyes widened, "Huh?"_

_"You love Nathan!" Brooke sing-songed._

_Haley bit her lip and threw the nearest couch pillow at Brooke's head._

_"Ow!" She exclaimed. "What was that for?"_

_"For saying the 'L' word!" Haley scolded._

_"What? Love?" Brooke asked._

_Haley threw another pillow at Brooke._

_"Dammit Hales, would you stop that?"_

_"Stop saying 'Love." She whispered._

_"Why is that so bad?" Peyton piped in._

_"Because Nathan and I haven't said that yet..."_

_"So?"_

_"So, I don't want to talk about it." Haley said quickly._

_"Are you afraid to admit you love him?" Brooke asked._

_"I never said I did!" Haley answered._

_Peyton snorted, "Hate to break it to you girly, but it's pretty obvious that you do."_

_"What? Is it really?" Haley asked nervously._

_"You pretty much just admitted it." Brooke smirked._

_Haley threw her head back against the couch and groaned in frustration. "Fine. I love him, okay? I love him more than anything, and I'm freaked out about it!"_

_Both Brooke and Peyton 'awed' at the same time. _

_"That's sweet!" Brooke gushed._

_"Haley's in love!" Peyton screamed._

_"You guys! Shut up!" Haley scolded._

_"HALEY JAMES LOVES NATHAN SCOTT!" Brooke screamed louder._

_Haley groaned and jumped on top of Brooke. "I'm going to rip your hair out if you say it again!" Haley warned._

_"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, please don't touch the hair!" Brooke rushed out._

_"Seriously though, why are you so afraid of love?" Peyton inquired._

_Haley blew out a long breath. "I just... I don't know. I'm afraid if I tell him, he won't feel the same way."_

_"Trust me tutor girl, it's pretty obvious Nate feels the same way." Brooke advised._

_"Even if he does, it doesn't matter. We're going to college in a week and a half. Our relationship was just supposed to be fun and flirty. I never planned on falling this hard for him." Haley admitted shyly._

_"That's the beauty of love. You never know when or how it'll happen." Brooke gushed._

_"I don't know what to do." Haley groaned._

_"Tell him."_

_"Don't tell him!"_

_Brooke and Peyton both screamed at the same time._

_"Okay one of you thinks I should, and the other thinks I shouldn't. Great. Thanks for your help." Haley mumbled sarcastically._

_"I think you should tell him. He obviously feels the same way, and you can totally pull off long distance. Love know's no boundary's." Brooke advised._

_Peyton tapped her finger on her forehead. "Yeah well I think she should wait to see if he says it first. Isn't it like a rule for guys to say it first?"_

_"Screw the rules of love. It's fair game!" Brooke cheered._

_Haley sighed, "Can we just not talk about this right now? I think Peyton's right. We should have a girls night."_

_Brooke clapped her hands together and squealed, "I know exactly what we can do! I just bought a new wedding magazine! I just got a new CD, and we pig out on junk food."_

_"I'm in." Peyton agreed._

_"Me too, but let me just call Nathan really quickly." Haley replied._

_"Nuh-uh! This is a boy-free night!" Peyton scolded._

_"Boy free? Yeah right!" Brooke snickered. "We're planning our weddings tonight, so it will be filled with romance."_

_"You guys are ridiculous!" Peyton chastised. _

_"Really? I bet you think about marrying Jake all the time. Am I right P Sawyer, future Jagelski?"_

_Peyton blushed slightly, "Okay, okay. You caught me."_

_Brooke smiled satisfactorily, while Haley walked into her room and dialed Nathan's number._

_After about two rings, Nathan finally picked up, and as soon as Haley heard his voice she had butterflies in her stomach._

_"Hey babe." Nathan answered._

_"Do you call everyone babe?" Haley joked._

_"Nah, only my girlfriends." Nathan joked back._

_"Oh really? So I'm not your only girlfriend?"_

_"Nope, but you're my favorite one." Nathan teased._

_"Aw man, here I was thinking I was special because you called me babe." Haley playfully pouted._

_"You are special, and you're my only baby. You know that Hales."_

_"So now I'm a baby?" Haley countered._

_Nathan laughed into the phone, "No, you are a sexy, mature eighteen year old woman, who happens to be all mine."_

_"Good answer."_

_"So how's your night?"_

_"Oh it's great, we hired male strippers, and I'm about to meet one of them in my room now-"_

_"Very funny, Hales." Nathan deadpanned._

_Haley giggled, "No, actually the night completely sucks. I miss you so much baby."_

_"I miss you too Hales. More than you'll ever know." _

_"How was the game? Did the bob-lions win?"_

_Nathan let out a deep chuckle, "You mean the Bobcats?"_

_"Yeah what ever."_

_"Well yeah, the Bobcats won. It was a great game! I even got one of the players autographs!" Nathan said happily into the phone._

_Haley smiled at his proud tone. "Aw that's great babe. I'm happy for you."_

_"Thanks! I can't wait to see you tomorrow."_

_"I know. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be."_

_"I guess we should be getting used to it..." Nathan sighed into the phone._

_"Ugh." Haley groaned. "I don't want to talk about it."_

_"Right, sorry. Neither do I."_

_"Well I better go, Brooke planned some type of girl night." Haley said sadly, not wanting to part with Nathan._

_"Okay, have fun. I'll miss you."_

_"I'll miss you too."_

_"Have a good night babe." Nathan sighed._

_"You too. Bye."_

_"Bye."_

_Nathan waited to make sure Haley hung up first, but he didn't hear a dial tone._

_"Hales? Are you still there?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Why didn't you hang up?"_

_"I don't want to." Haley admitted softly._

_"Okay why don't we hang up at the same time?" Nathan suggested._

_"Okay."_

_"Okay on the count of three. 1...2...3-"_

_Neither Haley nor Nathan hung up._

_"You hang up first." Haley stated._

_"No you hang up first." Nathan flirted back._

_"You."_

_"No, you."_

_"I don't wanna." Haley wined._

_"I always hang up last, so you have to go first." Nathan stated._

_"Fine." Haley relented. _

_Nathan again, waited for her to hang up, but she never did._

_"We're so cheesy." Nathan laughed._

_Haley giggled, "So? It's not a bad thing. We're a really cheesy couple mister."_

_"Good. I like it."_

_"Okay, I really need to go." Haley pouted. "I'll hang up now."_

_"Alright. See you tomorrow angel."_

_"I can't wait! Goodnight!"_

_"Bye." Nathan smiled into the phone._

_"Bye." Haley said sadly._

_"Bye."_

_"SOMEONE HANG UP THE GOD DAMN PHONE ALREADY!" Nathan heard Brooke scream in the background._

_"Uh oh, that was Brooke. Got to go, bye!" Haley rushed out and shut her phone._

_"You guys are sick!" Brooke shouted as she threw her hands up in the air when Haley walked back into the living room. "Not even Lucas and I are that pathetic."_

_Haley rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, I just really miss him. I don't know how I'm going to live with out him..." She pouted._

_"Okay enough of this depression! Let's plan our weddings!" Brooke clapped._

_"Weddings?" Haley asked. "Last time I checked, none of us were engaged."_

_"You don't have to be engaged to plan a wedding, silly." Brooke stated as if it was the post obvious thing in the world. "Besides, one day we will be getting married, and this will make everything easier."_

_Peyton and Haley both laughed but decided to go along with Brooke's crazy ideas._

_"So tutor girl, what's your dream wedding like?" Brooke inquired._

_Haley shrugged, "I don't know. I've never thought about it."_

_"Are you kidding me?" Brooke shrieked. "Every single little girl dreams about their perfect wedding. What is wrong with you?"_

_Haley laughed, "I don't know! I guess I just thought I'd never get married."_

_"That's nonsense! One day you're going to get married, and you need to know what you want!" Brooke stated. "So. What's your dream proposal?"_

_Haley pursed her lips and thought hard. "I guess I want something really meaningful. You know? I don't want to get engaged at some restaurant. I want it to be really romantic, but nothing crazy. So I guess maybe the place we had our first date, or something like that."_

_"Aw! I approve!" Brooke gushed. "What about you Peyt?"_

_"I agree with Hales. I want a cute proposal. It should happen once, so I want it to be perfect."_

_"Yay! I see I'm rubbing off on you girls. Okay, next question: Where do you want to actually tie the knot?"_

_Haley smiled, "The beach. I love the beach!"_

_"That's so romantic!"_

_"I think I'd want to get married in a church." Peyton piped in._

_"Me too." Brooke gushed._

_"Okay, what's your description of a dream husband?" Peyton asked._

_"Lucas Scott." Brooke smiled._

_Haley laughed, "Um... My dream husband is someone who puts me first, and protects me. Someone who loves me for me. Someone who is easy to joke around with, and who will never be boring. He obviously has to be cute, Preferably short dark hair, blue eyes- I love blue eyes- Athletic, caring- I love guys with big hearts- someone who can bring the crazy side out of me, umm, sweet, loving, and good with kids..."_

_"So, Nathan." Brooke pointed out._

_Haley blushed deeply, but remained quiet._

_"Yeah Hales, you basically just described Nathan." Peyton stated._

_"Did I really?" Haley asked._

_"Yup." Brooke declared._

_"Okay maybe I did... I'm not saying I'm going to marry him, but maybe, just maybe, one day, I would like to. I mean, he is my dream guy..."_

_"AWWW!" Brooke squealed. _

_Haley blushed and hid her face behind her hands. She was wearing Nathan's over sized sweatshirt, so she pulled the neckline up to cover her rosy cheeks._

_"What's your dream dress?" Peyton asked._

_"Hmm, something simple and lace? And a simple, vale. " Haley answered._

_"Cute!" Brooke exclaimed. "Okay, what's your dream ring look like?"_

_"Something simple, but a decent size, still classy, but you know, shiny, because what girl doesn't like shiny things?" Haley laughed. "But I wouldn't mind getting like a grandmothers ring, because that's really special and cute."_

_The rest of the night, the girls planned their dream weddings, and pictured their futures with their dream guys, hoping that one day the stories they made up would actually happen._

* * *

"Dude stop pacing, you're making me dizzy." Nathan joked as Lucas continued to pace around the small room that the groomsman were getting ready in.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous."

"Why? You're about to marry the love of your life. You've been wanting this since you were thirteen. Why the hell are you nervous?" Nathan questioned.

"I don't know, I just am." Lucas admitted.

"Pussy." Nathan mumbled.

"Shut up, I bet if you were in my shoes right now you'd be nervous too." Lucas shot back.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "It's a good thing I'm never getting married then."

"So even if Haley was wearing a white dress, you wouldn't marry her?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shrugged, "I can't think like that anymore, because it's never going to happen. And if I don't marry her, I'm not marrying anyone, so yes, I'm dying alone."

"Hey don't be a debby downer on the happiest day of my life." Lucas smiled.

Nathan laughed, "You're right. Sorry. I'm proud of you man. I'd like to think we're brothers, instead of cousins. You're also my best friend. I'm happy you found love. Brooke is an amazing girl, and you deserve the best. So go and marry her, and give me a bunch of nieces or nephews." Nathan said genuinely.

Lucas laughed and pulled Nathan in for a tight embrace. "Thank you, man. I couldn't have asked for a better cousin. I know we like to get under eachothers skin, but I don't know what I'd do with out you. And don't worry man, you'll find happiness one day, whether it's with Haley or not. Everything works out in the end."

Nathan smiled and patted Lucas on the back. "Thanks. Now go get your girl."

Lucas smiled and walked to his spot on the alter as he anxiously waited for Brooke to walk down the aisle. Nathan stood next to him, just as anxious, waiting to see Haley.

* * *

"You ready?" Haley asked Brooke as she waited behind the closed doors of the church.

"I've been ready since I was sixteen." Brooke joked to lighten her nerves.

"Just think, when you walk out this door, you're going to be Brooke Penelope Scott."

"Yeah and hopefully next year you'll be Haley Bob Scott." Brooke smiled.

Haley laughed lightly, and the sound of an organ playing, boomed through the church walls, signaling that the ceremony was about to start.

Lucas' little sister, Lilly, was now nine years old, and wanted to be the flower girl. She was the first one to walk down the aisle and everyone in the church let out a long "aww".

Haley was next to make the long trip down the aisle. She trailed behind Lilly about ten feet, and smiled polietely as she passed the friends and family members of Brooke and Lucas. She made sure to throw in a 'flirtatious' wink to Chase, just in case Nathan was watching.

And he most definitely saw the wink.

Nathan's fists instinctively balled at his sides. He felt his blood boiling with rage, and his jaw clenched. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest- not because he was angry- but because his eyes finally lingered over Haley, and he felt the drool piling in his mouth, and his jaw practically hit the floor. She always had this effect on him. He couldn't help but think- or hope, rather- that one day, Haley would be wearing the white dress and making the long trek down the aisle, to start the journey to forever with him. He quickly shook that thought from his mind. He couldn't and wouldn't allow himself to go there. Especially not today. As much as he wanted to, Nathan could not take his eyes off of Haley. She was stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, and basically every other synonym of those words.

Haley looked up from her bouquet of roses and was met with a pair of dazzling blue eyes. Her stomach flipped, and her heart felt as if it was going to leap through her chest. She bit down nervously on her lip, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away from Nathan's intense stare. For a brief moment, she thought about what it would be like if she was wearing the white dress, and meeting Nathan at the alter. Her eyes bore into Nathan's, and his eyes stayed fixed on her brown ones. Haley couldn't help but smile. Upon seeing Haley's bodacious smile, Nathan felt the corner of his mouth tugging slightly upwards. There was something about Haley James, and no matter how upset he was, he was still drawn to her. She was like a magnet, and he couldn't pull away. The magnet was fate's way of telling them they belonged together.

Lucas looked between Nathan and Haley, and couldn't help but chuckle. Nathan had his mouth shaped like an 'o', and was basically drooling. Haley had a dreamy look in her eyes, and she looked like a love sick teenager. Lucas quickly elbowed Nathan in the stomach, before the drool actually started dripping. Nathan quickly diverted his gaze from Haley and looked around the church to make sure no one saw him starring at Haley.

Alex also saw the way her date was starring at the maid of honor, and was not happy about it at all. She made a mental note to do something about it later...

Haley was so wrapped up in Nathan's gaze, that she didn't even realize she made it to the end of the aisle and she tripped forward, stumbling into Nathan's arms.

Nathan was caught off guard by Haley's sudden fall, but he was there to catch her.

"Whoa. Are you alright?" He whispered loudly.

Haley bit her lip and tried everything not to stare into Nathan's eyes again. She felt her cheeks burn a furious shade of red.

"I..um...yeah...perfect...great...okay...bye." She stuttered and quickly ran to her spot on the alter.

Nathan lightly chuckled and went back to stand next to Lucas.

The organ started to play louder, and suddenly the entire church stood up, as the doors opened and revealed Brooke in her beautiful wedding gown.

This time, it was Lucas' turn to stare as his beautiful, soon to be wife, floated down the aisle, with a teary eyed smile. Lucas himself, felt tears prickle behind his eyes.

For the entire ceremony, Nathan didn't pay attention at all. His eyes stayed on Haley the entire time. Haley on the other hand, tried everything in her power, not to look at Nathan. She looked at everything BUT Nathan. If she looked at him, she would have probably thrown herself in his arms and start kissing him, but she couldn't do that.

The entire wedding, Haley was zoning out, and at one point she met Alex Dupre's death stare, and she wanted to roll her eyes.

Haley finally came down the earth when Lucas and Brooke were reciting their vows.

"Do you Lucas Eugene Scott take thee Brooke Penelope Davis to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to death do you part?"

"I do, I do, I do." Lucas smiled.

"Do you Brooke Penelope-"

"I DO!" She shouted, making everyone laugh,

"Alright then... the priest chuckled, "It is now with power invested in me by the state of North Carolina, to pronounce you husband and wife. Lucas you may now kiss your bride."

"Finally!" He smirked, and leaned down to capture Brooke's lips into a tantalizing kiss.

Haley clapped loudly as she watched the happy couple in front of her, praying the reception would go as quick as the ceremony did.

Nathan also stood by his cousin Lucas, and clapped for the newlyweds, while on the inside, he was dying for this day to end.

* * *

**I PROMISE you, next chapter will be the chapter you've all been waiting for! It will have a ton of drama, and lots of surprises ;) I hope to have it up by the weekend! **

**I know I promised you drama, but I had to split the wedding and the reception otherwise it would have gotten too confusing. Hope you don't mind!**


	15. Dancin' Away With My Heart

"You ready, Haley?" Chase asked as he noticed Haley nervously playing with her pinky ring, as they stood outside the reception hall.

Haley gulped nervously and gave Chase a small smile, "I guess so..."

"Hey, there's nothing to be nervous about. I saw the way Nathan was starring at you at the alter, and believe me, I bet he was the one wishing you guys were getting married."

Haley scoffed lightly, "Yeah right, he hates my guts!"

"Why would you say that?" Chase asked.

"Because I brought you as my date."

"I thought he was bringing that Alex girl? Let me tell you she is hot! Nathan is so luck-"

"Finish that sentence, and you won't ever be able to speak again." Haley warned.

"Sorry." Chase mumbled. "But seriously, Nathan was drooling when he first saw you." Chase stated.

Haley giggled, "Yeah right!"

"I'm not joking. You would have thought you were a couple the way he was undressing you with his eyes-"

"Okay! Okay!" Haley shouted. "I get it! But that doesn't mean anything."

"Mayb-"

Haley quickly placed her hand over Chase's mouth to shut him up, and pulled him into the bushes.

"Shhh!" Haley quickly quieted Chase. "Nathan's coming!" She pointed from their spot behind the bush.

"But why are we hidin-?"

"SHHH!" Haley whisper-yelled again.

Nathan stepped out of his range rover, and to be polite, he held open the passenger door for his date, Alex Dupre.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Nathan gave Alex a short nod and awkwardly put his arm around her skinny waist.

He tried to act nonchalant as he searched the outside for Haley, but he didn't see her.

"So what was up with you and Brooke's maid of honor?" Alex questioned.

Nathan was caught off guard by the question and almost started choking on air. "You mean Haley?"

"Yeah. Who is she?"

"Oh... um... she's just an old friend." Nathan lied.

Chase looked at Haley's face as he heard Nathan say that, and Haley squeezed her eyes shut, and frowned visibly. Chase grabbed her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze.

"Well you certainly didn't look like friends. You were drooling over her the entire ceremony!" Alex nagged.

Nathan inwardly groaned. He hated naggers. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen her in a while, I was just shocked, but trust me- you look a million times better." He lied.

Haley squeezed her eyes tighter, so that the tears that were piling in her eyes would stay at bay.

"Really?"Alex asked in a high voice. "I figured you would like this dress." She winked.

Nathan wasn't going to lie, Alex was a very attractive woman, and he knew if he had never met Haley, he would have thought she was really hot, but no one could ever compare to Haley James.

Alex had on a tight black dress, that was more suitable for a club, not a wedding, and it left little to the imagination. Nathan thought she was pretty hot, but Haley was classy, sophisticated, and drop dead beautiful. He quickly shook his head of those thoughts. Tonight he was going to get over her, no matter what it would take...

Nathan was going to have to embrace the fact that he would have to lower his standards, and Alex would probably be the best he would be able to get. When Nathan was with Haley when he was eighteen, he was always self conscious because he knew Haley could do a lot better than him, and he was afraid she would realize that, and leave him.

"Yeah... you look... great." Nathan smiled.

Alex smirked happily and pressed her hand on Nathan's muscular chest. "Thank you, and you don't look too bad your self, Scott." She winked, causing Nathan to laugh.

Haley felt her jaw tighten, and her hands balled to the sides of her body. She always called Nathan, Scott, and he would call her James. Oh well. Old habits die hard.

"So you ready to go in?" Nathan asked as Alex eyed Nathan flirtatiously.

"Yep, lead the way."

Haley stretched her neck to see if Nathan and Alex were holding hands, but as she did that, she lost her balance, and tumbled forward out of the bush, dragging Chase with her. She let out a loud yelp, and Chase chuckled loudly. To anyone near by watching, it would have seemed as they were just kissing in the bush.

Nathan heard a loud scream and turned around to find Haley and Chase covered in dirt and leaves, and laughing wildly on the grass. His eyes narrowed, and he bit his tongue hard. The blood in his body was boiling with fury. Were they seriously just making out in the bushes? At that thought, Nathan's grip tightened on Alex, and forced a smile.

Haley looked up into Nathan's glaring eyes, and her stomach dropped. She knew that he must've thought that she and Chase were just hooking up in a bush, which was the complete opposite.

Alex also turned to look at what Nathan had his eyes fixed on, and smiled.

"You must be Holly! Nathan was just telling me how you used to be friends!" Alex said offering her hand for a hand shake.

Haley looked up into Nathan's glare, and matched his stare. "Actually it's Haley." Haley corrected as she took Alex's hand and gave it a rough shake.

"Oh sorry." Alex said, feigning embarrassment. "I'm Alex Dupre, Nathan's girlfriend."

Haley's eyebrows shot up, and looked back up at Nathan who was starring at Alex with wide eyes.

"Oh really? Nathan's never mentioned you before." Haley stated bitterly.

"We just got together actually. He's really great, I don't think I'd ever be able to be 'just friends' with him. He's totally gorgeous!" She whispered.

Haley forced a smile and a fake laugh.

"So is this your boyfriend?" Alex asked as she looked at Chase who had his hands in his pockets and starring at the ground.

"Oh, um, n-"

"Actually, I am." Chase suddenly piped in. "The name's Chase."

"Nice to meet you Chase. I'm Alex."

"The pleasure is all mine." Chase smiled.

Nathan inwardly rolled his eyes- was Haley seriously dating this tool? Since when?

"Well, we'll see you guys later, Nathan was just going to buy me a drink. Right honey?" Alex asked with wide eyes, and pouted flirtatiously, making Haley want to gag.

Nathan forced a smile, "Of course."

"Nice meeting you Nathan." Chase called.

"Right." Nathan grunted.

Once the couple was out of earshot, Haley slapped Chase on the forehead. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Haley seethed.

"What I do?" Chase asked innocently.

"You just told them you were my boyfriend!"

"I thought we were trying to make him jealous?"

"Yeah jealous, not angry!" Haley muttered. "I knew this was a bad idea!"

Chase frowned, and pulled Haley in a tight hug. "I'm sorry Haley, you'll get him back. I promise."

"I ruined everything!" She cried. "He asked me to be his date, and I said I was going with you, and now he's dating that stupid hoar!"

"I thought she was really nice-"

Haley looked up at Chase and if looks could kill he would be dead.

"-I mean she was a bitch, I hate her." Chase recovered.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, and let out a small laugh. "I don't know what to do Chase." She pouted.

"I told you not to worry. Nathan will come around. I promise. We just have to make him see what he's missing out on, so that's why I'm going to pretend to be your boyfriend. Trust me, it'll work."

Haley bit her lip, "Okay, I'm trusting you, but you're not allowed to kiss me with tongue. Got it?"

Chase laughed, "Okay, deal."

* * *

"Haley! We've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been? ...Doesn't matter! We need you in the Bridal Suite right away!" Millie, one of Brooke's other Brides maid, and wedding planner shouted.

Haley followed a frantic Millie into a small room located near the cocktail party. Brooke, Lucas, and Nathan were all in the room laughing about something.

"Haley! You made it! We've been waiting for you!" Brooke screamed.

"Why? What's going on?" Haley asked confused.

"You're my maid of honor, and Nathan is the best man, you have to walk out together when the DJ announces the bridal party." Brooke explained.

"Are you serious?" Nathan asked exasperated.

"Um it's my wedding, and you have to do what I saw dammit!" Brooke scolded playfully.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Okay, anything else princess?"

"You have to dance with Haley for a song."

"I don't dance, so no." Nathan said smugly.

Haley looked at Nathan and bit her lip. "You danced with me when we were together.."

"Yeah, well we aren't anymore." Nathan snapped.

"Nathan.." Brooke whined. "You have to, it's wedding tradition!"

Nathan shot a sideways glance to Haley who was biting on her lip, and then he looked at Lucas who had pleading eyes.

"Okay fine. One song." Nathan said strongly.

Brooke smiled and pulled Nathan in for a tight embrace. "Yay! You're the best!"

Nathan just shrugged, and Brooke bounced over to Haley.

Haley giggled, "Yes, Brooke?"

"Can you sing for us?"

"...Brooke, no-" Haley sighed.

"Please, Please, Please.' Brooke begged.

"I haven't sang in a really long time.." Haley relented.

"I just heard you singing the other day, the lyrics were like "If this was a movie, you'd be here by now.." or something like that."

"Brooke, that song was personal, it's not a wedding song... it's about um a break up." Haley said shyly.

"You should sing Haley. I mean I'm dancing, so it's only fair..." Nathan said, and Haley could have sworn she saw a slight smile on his lips.

"Okay. I'll do it." She smiled and inhaled had a sudden boost of courage when Nathan told her to do it.

"Oh my god really? You're the best! I love you!" Brooke squealed.

Lucas chuckled at his wife's antics.

"Okay well I'm going to finish getting ready for my big debut as Mrs. Scott." Brooke smiled cheekily and pulled Lucas into the bathroom with her. Sensing the awkward tension between Naley, she figured she should give them alone time.

Neither Nathan nor Haley knew what to say to each other. After about two minutes and thirty six seconds, (Yes, Haley counted) She finally decided to speak.

"So um Alex seems nice."

Nathan shrugged, "Yeah." He said as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"When do you go back to Charlotte?" She asked hoping it wouldn't be soon.

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Haley asked as her eyes widened. "Are you kidding?"

"No, I don't belong here, Haley. I need to go back to my real life"

Haley looked at her shoes as she felt tears start to build up. "I'm going to miss you." She squeaked.

"Don't do this Haley." Nathan warned. "It's not fair."

"You're right, I'm sorry. Are we still friends?" She asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Nathan ran a tired hand through his hair. "Honestly, Haley, I don't know what the hell we are anymore. I just think it would be best if I went back to Charlotte, and we don't keep in contact anymore. I'm sorry, but I know you know there are still feelings between us, and I know it's impossible to forget each other, so that's why we should just leave everything in the past, and move on without eachother."

Haley gulped and blinked rapidly to stop her tears from falling. "Nathan, we haven't even talked in five years, and our feelings haven't changed. I don't know about you, but I've been miserable for five years. Do you really think not speaking is going to work?"

"I don't know Haley, but being friends isn't going to work either. You have Chase now, so just- forget about me. You deserve a lot better than me trust me." He mumbled. "And don't tell me you've been miserable for five years, because last time I checked, you were the one who told me to leave, remember?"

Haley bit her lip, and just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Look, we can be civil for the rest of the wedding, but after that, I'm done." Nathan declared.

Haley gulped, "But Nathan I-"

"I don't want to hear it." Nathan declared. "It's just easier this way. I thought we could be friends, but it didn't work. I'm sorry."

"But-" Haley intervened again.

Nathan shook his head softly, "Haley, I tried to get you back, but you're with Chase now. I'm not going to keep fighting, because every time I do, it blows up in my face, and I'm sick of it."

"I'm not-"

"...And I have Alex now, and I really think we could have something special, so just please don't do anything to screw it up. I'm finally happy." Nathan said harshly. He didn't know what else to do so he went with plan B. Be an ass to Haley. It would make her get over him, and he would try not to feel about it.

Haley's heart constricted at his words. "Nathan, I-"

"There's nothing you can say or do, that's going to fix us. It took me five years to get over you. I think we were both stuck in a moment that just wasn't meant to last, so it's time to move on. For me at least, because I know you probably moved on right away." Nathan said solemnly.

"Are you kidding?" Haley asked incredulously. "I went to see you at Duke two months after we broke up, and I saw some girl all over you! How do you think that made me feel?" Haley shouted. If Nathan was going to act like that, well, then two could play this game.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nathan asked.

Haley scoffed, "Don't act like you don't know! It was your first game. I know we weren't together but I promised you I would be there, and I waited for you, and what do I see? Some slut ran in your arms! That should have been me Nathan!"

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You're right. That should have been you, but it wasn't."

"You told me you loved me." Haley whispered, as a small tear rolled down her cheeks. "I guess it never mattered, considering two months later you were already in bed with someone."

Nathan threw his hands in the air and laughed sardonically, as his mind flash backed to the conversation he had with Brooke the other day about Haley seeing him hug his friend Ally.

"Are you seriously laughing right now?" Haley scoffed. "That's really nice Nathan, because I went there that night to tell you I loved you!"

"Well if you didn't run away- like you always do- then you would have found out that the 'slut' I was hugging was my best friend since High School, and she's MARRIED to my best friend! She's practically my sister!" Nathan shouted.

Haley's mouth hung open, and she felt her heart stop. Her mind completely went numb, and she was speechless. She felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.

"Oh." Was all that Haley could respond with.

"Yeah 'Oh' is right!" Nathan spat. "You don't even know what I went through! I didn't even look at another girl for two years! Finally I just gave up on love completely, and decided to just sleep with a girl for a night and forget about her the next day. It helped heal the pain, and I told myself I'd never get attached again. You broke my heart." Nathan said sadly.

'I'm sorry, I never meant-" Haley began.

"Haley, it's fine, you don't have to explain. I understand if you didn't feel the same way. I rushed things-"

"You didn't, Nathan."

"Well it's in the past now, it doesn't matter anymore. You can be with Chase, and I'm with Alex, so let's just forget it. It was just a stupid summer fling, right? Those things never work out." He chuckled humorously.

Haley ran a tired hand over her face. She was truly conflicted. Should she tell him how she felt or was it pointless? He seemed to have already made up his mind..."

"Nathan, there's something you should know..." She began, but before she could finish, Brooke came bursting through the room..

"Are you guys ready to be announced?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah let's get this over with."

"Okay great so the DJ will announce you, you dance for a song, and then you wait on the side until he says for you to join on the dance floor again." Brooke instructed.

"Okay." Nathan nodded, and reluctantly grabbed Haley's hand, and pulled her over to the door where the party was being held.

"You ready?" He asked, and she let out a small nod.

After what felt like waiting for hours, the DJ finally made the announcement.

"So who's ready to celebrate the marriage of Lucas and Brooke Scott?" The DJ asked the family and friends of Brooke and Lucas, and they all let out loud cheers.

"Okay great!" The DJ responded happily. "Before we announce the beautiful couple, please put your hands together for the Maid of Honor, and Best Man: Haley James and Nathan Scott!"

On cue, Nathan and Haley ran out, hand-in-hand, as the guests stood up and cheered loudly.

"Now as we wait for Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Brooke requested that Nathan and Haley dance to this song! So give it up for the lovely couple!" The DJ said assuming that they were a couple.

In the background the song, "Dancin' Away With My Heart" by Lady Antebellum started playing, and Haley blushed profusely as everyone's eyes were on them.

Nathan and Haley stood in the center of the dance floor, and started to slow dance as the lyrics started booming through the reception hall.

_I finally asked you to dance_  
_On the last slow song_  
_Beneath that moon that was really a disco ball_  
_I can still feel my head on your shoulder_  
_And hoping that song would never be over_

_I haven't seen you in ages_  
_Sometimes I find myself_  
_Wondering where you are_  
_For me you'll always be 18_  
_And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart_

_I brushed your curls back so I could see your eyes_  
_And the way you moved me was like you were reading my mind_  
_I can still feel you lean into kiss me_  
_I can't help but wonder if you ever miss me_

_You headed off to college_  
_At the end of that summer and we lost touch_  
_I guess I didn't realize even at that moment we lost so much_

Haley rested her head on Nathan's chest and closed her eyes as she listened closely to the lyrics that described her life so perfectly.

Nathan held Haley tightly in his arms and almost laughed at the song choice. It was pretty much his and Haley's 'song.'

"Are you listening to the lyrics?" Haley mumbled.

Nathan smiled softly. "Yeah. Leave it to Brooke to pick this song."

"I like it." Haley said simply.

Nathan didn't say anything, but just looked into Haley's deep brown eyes. He never thought they would be in this moment. When they were 18, he assumed they'd always be together, but when they broke up he thought he would never see her again, and now, here they were, five years later, dancing to some slow song, and he felt himself getting lost in her completely. He had to fight the urge to kiss her because that would contradict everything he just told her about getting over her and blah blah blah.

"What are you thinking about?" Haley whispered as she drowned in his deep blue eyes.

"The last time we danced like this-"

"At my sister Vivian's wedding..." Haley smiled.

"Yeah." Nathan mirrored her smile. "More Than Anyone' was playing.."

"You said the next time we would dance at a wedding it would be ours..." Haley laughed sadly.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Haley practically dragged Nathan over to the dance floor, who was severely protesting the entire time._

_"Hales, do we have to dance?" Nathan whined._

_"Yes, because our song is playing!" Haley stated happily._

_Nathan listened closely as he heard the lyrics of 'More than Anyone' by Gavin DeGraw played._

_"Okay fine but only this song. You know I hate dancing!" Nathan warned._

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, as he placed his arms around her lower waist. _

_"You look beautiful tonight Hales." Nathan whispered in her ear._

_Haley smiled widely, and pulled Nathan's neck down to her a placed a long hot kiss on his lips._

_"I thought you hated PDA." Nathan smirked._

_Haley shrugged, a gave him a 'innocent' smile. "Are you complaining?"_

_Nathan shook his head 'no' and leaned down to kiss his girlfriend again. "How did I get so lucky?" He whispered against her lips._

_"It helps that you're hot." Haley giggled._

_'I'm serious." Nathan stated. "You're amazing. I don't deserve you."_

_Haley cupped Nathan's cheek, and looked longingly in his deep blue eyes. "Don't you dare say that Nathan Scott. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm never going to take advantage of you.I do deserve you because I only want what's best for me, and you are the best."_

_"I'm so crazy about you Haley James." Nathan smiled._

_"Good because I'm kind of crazy about you too Nathan Scott."_

_The couple slowly leaned in for a long, gentle kiss, as they got lost in the music. When air became an issue, Nathan pulled away and brushed Haley's blonde curly hair behind her ear._

_"What are you thinking about?" She asked quietly._

_"The next time we dance at a wedding, it's going to be ours. And we're going to dance to this song, because it's our song. Okay?"_

_Haley smiled so wide that her cheeks were beginning to hurt. "Okay." She responded in a giddy voice and pressed a kiss on Nathan's soft lips._

* * *

Nathan's eyes diverted to their feet, and frowned. "What did I know? We were only eighteen.."

Haley didn't respond, but instead, she grabbed Nathan tighter and never wanted to let go of him. "Please don't leave tomorrow." She whispered, but he never responded. She wondered if he even heard her...

The song finally ended, and the guests clapped respectively and Nathan and Haley separated as they stood by the DJ booth, anxiously waiting for Brooke and Lucas to make their grand entrance.

"See that wasn't so bad was it?" Haley joked lightly to Nathan.

Nathan placed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I guess not."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, can you please put your hands together for Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott!" The DJ screamed into the microphone, as the song "Let's Go" by Ne-Yo started playing.

Brooke and Lucas ran out of the doors, hand in hand with giant smiles on their faces, and they made it to the dance floor, as Lucas tipped Brooke back and kissed her hard.

The guests let out loud cheers, and cat whistles while Nathan screamed "Get a room!" and everyone laughed loudly.

The song switched to Brian McKnight's "Back at One" and Brooke and Lucas shared their first slow dance as a couple.

Haley watched them as tears glistened in her eyes at how happy they were. Nathan smiled at the way the couple looked like they were in their own little world, but he quickly glanced at Haley who had a tear streaming down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"They're so cute together." She gushed.

Nathan just chuckled, and when the song ended he clapped happily.

The DJ announced that the dance floor was open for everyone now, and Nathan made a beeline toward the bar.

Haley sighed as she watched his figure disappear, and she gasped lightly when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Earth to Haley!" Chase laughed.

Haley looked over at Chase and smiled. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"So, that dance with Nathan was..."

Haley couldn't help but smile. "Perfect." She finished.

Chase laughed, "Yeah, you could have fooled me. You totally looked like a couple, and that song fit you guys perfectly."

Haley sighed, "Yeah well, he clearly didn't think the same way as me, considering he pretty much bolted away from me the second he got the chance."

"He was probably nervous around you because you brought back feelings, I promise you though that if we stick to my plan he'll be crawling back to you in no time!" Chase grinned.

"I doubt it." Haley said sadly.

"Hey, be positive!" Chase advised. "Now come on, dance with me."

Haley let Chase drag her back to the dance floor, as he put his arms around her waist and playfully spun her around as they danced to "Safe and Sound" by Capital laughed wildly as she sung the lyrics to Chase and she swayed her hips back and fourth to the beat. Chase looked up to find Nathan nursing a can of beer and glaring at him. Chase smiled smugly and pulled Haley closer to his body, swearing he saw a vein pop in Nathan's head.

Nathan's jaw tightened as he watched Haley dance happily with that tool, Chad, or what ever the hell his stupid name was. He chugged his can of beer and glared into Chase's eyes.

He suddenly felt a small hand on his knee and he looked up to see Alex smiling at him.

"Hi." She purred.

Nathan smiled at Alex and put his hand around her waist. "You want something to drink?" He asked.

"Vodka. Straight." She smiled sultry. "It makes me frisky." She winked.

Nathan's mouth fell open slightly ajar and smirked and quickly went to order a vodka for Alex and a couple of tequila shots for himself.

"So what's your story with that Holly girl?" Alex asked as she took a long gulp of her beverage.

"I told you, we're old friends." Nathan lied.

'Bull shit." Alex called his bluff. "I don't believe it."

Nathan took a shot of tequila and sighed. "Alright fine. You caught me. We met when we were eighteen and I fell in love with her."

"She friend zoned you? Harsh."

Nathan chuckled. "No, we dated for the entire summer, and I made the mistake of telling her I loved her the day before I left for college." Nathan explained.

"So then what happened?" Alex questioned.

"She told me to leave, and we never saw each other again after that, and I basically just gave up on love completely." Nathan muttered. "I guess I just never got over her, no matter how much she hurt me."

"I'm sorry Nathan. That really sucks. You don't deserve a girl like that." Alex said simply.

Nathan shrugged, "She was my whole world."

Alex followed Nathan's gaze to where Haley and Chase were dancing, and she frowned.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could say.

"I should be happy that she's happy, but it's killing me." Nathan strained.

"Did you bring me as your date to make her jealous?" Alex asked.

Nathan looked at Alex and furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry-"

Alex smiled, "Hey, it's fine. I understand."

"No I feel like an ass. I shouldn't have done that-"

Alex rested her hand on Nathan's chest. "It's a good thing I'm an actress, right?" She winked. "If you want to make her jealous, then let's do it!"

Nathan smirked, "Really? I don't want to use you-"

Alex rolled her eyes, "I don't care. I've been used before, and believe me I use guys all the time. So whatever you need me to do, just let me know."

"You know, I think I can really like you." Nathan smirked.

Alex laughed and flirtatiously tossed her hair over her shoulder. 'I'm pretty likable, and do-able." She smirked.

"Oh really? I might have to take you up on that offer tonight."

'I know your reputation Nathan. Love 'em and leave 'em right?" Alex asked.

Nathan licked his lips and gulped, "Uhh.."

Alex laughed, "I like it that way too. And believe me, if this jealousy thing doesn't work- I know something else we can do to heal the pain." She winked.

Nathan laughed and took another shot of tequila.

"So let's make this bitch something to be jealous about!" Alex said as she grabbed Nathan's shirt collar and pulled him in for a frenzied kiss.

Haley and Chase were dancing, when suddenly she noticed Chase's eyes widen.

"What?" Haley asked.

"Whatever you do, don't look behind you." Chase warned.

Haley laughed but was curious as to what Chase meant and she made the mistake of looking behind her anyway.

"Oh My God." She muttered as she felt tears spring behind her eyes.

Nathan rested his hands on Alex's ass, and kissed her back with as much force as she initiated it with.

'Is it working?" He asked.

Alex peaked over Nathan's shoulder and smirked. "Yup." She whispered and ran a hand through his hair.

Haley bit her lip as she starred at Nathan and Alex's make out session.

"I can't believe this!" Haley spat.

Chase frowned and pulled Haley to him, as he met her lips and kissed her.

'What the hell are you doing?" Haley pulled away from the kiss.

"Making him jealous, shut up, and pretend you like it." Chase joked and Haley reluctantly kissed him back.

"This feels wrong." She whispered.

Chase opened his eyes and looked over to the bar where Alex and Nathan were still kissing. "No. That's wrong." He said referring to Nathan and Alex.

Nathan pulled away breathlessly from Alex. "Wow." He smirked. "That was kind of hot."

Alex smirked and popped a pretzel in her mouth. "It totally worked too."

Nathan smiled and looked over at Haley, expecting her to be crying, but his smile fell when he noticed Chase's hands in a risque part of Haley's body, and their lips were locked.

Nathan seethed and his fists automatically balled at his side. "I'm going to kill that piece of shit!" She mumbled angrily.

Alex placed her hand on Nathan's bicep. "You can't lose it now. Act like you don't care, trust me, girls hate it when guys don't care."

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep calming breath.

Haley pulled away from Chase and looked over at Nathan who was smiling at her. What? He was SMILING? What the hell?

"Why the fuck is he smiling?" Haley asked Chase.

Chase looked over at Nathan, and Nathan waved. "I could have sworn he was just about to kill me." Chase mumbled.

"Maybe he really doesn't care..." Haley muttered sadly.

"He does, he's just doing a really good job of hiding it." Chase responded.

"So now what do we do?" Haley asked.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out." Chase promised.

Just then, the DJ announced that it was time for the Best Man and Maid of Honor speeches.

"Oh no." Nathan grumbled. "I don't know what I'm going to say."

Alex smiled and kissed Nathan square on the lips.

Nathan furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"Haley was watching." She explained. "Plus, tonight you can get more if you want." She winked

Nathan smiled, "Oh."

"Good luck!" Alex called, and Nathan walked up to the center of the dance floor, while Brooke and Lucas took a seat at their respected table.

Nathan grabbed the microphone from the DJ and took a deep breath. "Okay so uh, I'm not really good with words, so I'm just going to keep this short and sweet." Nathan laughed nervously. "So first off, congratulations Lucas and Brooke. I'm really happy for you guys. Welcome to the family Brooke." Nathan announced, and Brooke cheered happily. "So uh, I don't exactly believe in love." Nathan stated a little coolly as he locked eyes with Haley. "But you guys show me what love is, and I'm really happy that you guys found each other. I hope maybe one day, someone could love me the way you guys love each other. I remember Lucas telling me all about his crush on Brooke Davis, and how she was the one for him. I always made fun of him, because how could you be in love so young? Little did I know he would actually marry her. So way to go Luke. I'm happy that you're happy and you get to spend the rest of your life with the love of your Brooke right, and Brooke don't break his heart because I don't want to deal with him brooding." Nathan laughed. "I expect you guys to give me a lot of nieces and nephews to spoil, because there's no way in hell I'm ever having kids. So again, congratulations, and have a great honeymoon! I love you guys!" Nathan toasted, and everyone clapped loudly. "So um, I guess it's my turn to announce the maid of honor, Haley James." Nathan said quietly, and Haley walked over to him and grabbed the microphone, muttering a small 'Thank you'.

"So unlike Nathan, I am a strong believer of love." Haley started off. "Some times, it takes a while for people to realize they're in love, but not with Lucas and Brooke. I'm pretty sure they invented the expression 'love at first sight.'" She joked. "I remember Lucas fawning over Brooke ever since he saw her. We were thirteen and he came to my house one day and said 'I'm in love', and I just laughed in his face. I'll never forget it. He said 'Brooke Davis is beautiful, and I want to marry her.' Then I remember Brooke being obsessed with Lucas and how 'hot he is'. So I set them up, since I knew both of them, and now here we are almost ten years later, at their wedding! I would like to take full responsibility for their relationship because god only knows Lucas would never have the balls to talk to Brooke if it wasn't for me." She laughed along with the rest of the guests. "So love is a powerful feeling. I think Love conquers all. Brooke and Lucas have a rare and life long love, and I'm extremely happy they can be together. I hope I have a love that is half as good as theirs. You see, Brooke and Lucas were each other's first loves. No one ever forgets their first love. I can only hope that I end up with my first love, just like they did." She said as she looked at Nathan. "So again, Congratulations for the happy couple. I love you both more than anything!" She finished, and the guests stood up to clap loudly. Haley blushed, and Brooke ran up to her and squeezed her in a tight hug.

Brooke snatched the microphone from her and smiled. "Everyone, please give it up for my best friend Haley James! She's not only beautiful and an amazing speaker, but she also sings, so with out further ado, please put your hands together as she sings us a song."

Haley blushed and grabbed her guitar as she took a seat on a stool set up in the middle of the dance floor.

"Okay so Brooke pretty much forced me to sing against my will." She joked. "So I didn't really have time to write a happy love song so instead I'm going to sing a song that I wrote a few months ago, and I've never played it to anyone yet, so I'm kind of nervous-"

"Just sing already!" Brooke screamed.

Haley laughed and began to strum the opening of her song. The entire reception hall had their eyes on her, as they listened to her empowering voice.

_Last night I heard my own heart beating_  
_Sounded like footsteps on my stairs_  
_Six months gone and I'm still reaching_  
_Even though I know you're not there_

_I was playing back a thousand memories, baby_  
_Thinkin' 'bout everythin' we've been through_  
_Maybe I've been goin' back too much lately_  
_When time stood still and I had you_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You would, you would if this was a movie_  
_Stand in the rain outside_  
_'Til I came out_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You could, you could if you just said you're sorry_  
_I know that we could work it out somehow_  
_But if this was a movie you'd be here by now_

_I know people change and these things happen_  
_But I remember how it was back then_  
_Locked up in your arms and our friends were laughing_  
_'Cause nothing like this ever happened to them_

_Now, I'm pacing down the hall, chasing down your street_  
_Flashback to the night when you said to me_  
_"Nothing's gonna change, not for me and you "_  
_Not before I knew how much I had to lose_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You would, you would if this was a movie_  
_Stand in the rain outside_  
_'Til I came out_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You could, you could if you just said you're sorry_  
_I know that we could work it out somehow_  
_But if this was a movie you'd be here by now_

_If you're out there, if you're somewhere, if you're moving on_  
_I've be waiting for you ever since you've been gone_  
_I just want it back the way it was before_  
_And I just wanna see you back at my front door_

_And I say come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You would before you said it's not that easy_  
_Before the fight, before I locked you out_  
_But I'd take it all back now_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You would, you would if this was a movie_  
_Stand in the rain outside_  
_'Til I came out_

_Come back, come back, come back to me like_  
_You could, you could if you just said sorry_  
_I know that we could work it out somehow_  
_But if this was a movie you'd be here by now_

_You'd be here by now_  
_It's not the kind of ending you wanna see now_  
_Baby, what about the ending?_  
_Oh, I thought you'd be here by now_

_That you'd be here by now_

When she finished the song, everyone stood up whistling and clapping, while Nathan stayed planted in his seat with his eyes wide open. He knew that song was about them. Did she really just sing this in front of everyone? She pretty much just poured her heart and feelings out. Or was he just reading into it too much? Nathan had no idea what to think or so, so instead he just took a long shot of whiskey.

"ENCORE!" A guest member called out.

Haley blushed, and Brooke nodded. "Another song!" She screamed.

Haley bit her lip, "Um okay, but it's kind of about a break up..."

"Just sing! You're amazing!" Brooke's cousin screamed.

Haley smiled and decided to play another one of her songs she had written not to long ago.

"I call this one, 'All We'd Ever Need."

_Boy it's been all this time_  
_And I can't get you off my mind_  
_And nobody knows it but me_

_I stare at your photograph_  
_Still sleep in the shirt you left_  
_And nobody knows it but me_

_Everyday I wipe my tears away_  
_So many nights I've prayed for you to say_

_I should've been chasing you_  
_I should've been trying to prove_  
_That you were all that mattered to me_

_I should've said all the things_  
_That I kept inside of me_  
_And maybe I could've made you believe_  
_That what we had was all we'd ever need_

_My friends think I'm moving on_  
_But the truth is I'm not that strong_  
_And nobody knows it but me_

_And I've kept all the words you said_  
_In a box underneath my bed_  
_And nobody knows it but me_

_But if you're happy I'll get through somehow_  
_But the truth is that I've been screaming out_

_I should've been chasing you_  
_I should've been trying to prove_  
_That you were all that mattered to me_

_I should've said all the things_  
_That I kept inside of me_  
_And maybe I could've made you believe_  
_That what we had was all we'd ever need_  
_It was all we'd ever need_  
_Oh, I thought it was all we'd ever need_

_I should've been chasing you_  
_You should've been trying to prove_  
_That you were all that mattered to me_

_Oh, you should've said all the things_  
_That I kept inside of me_  
_And maybe you could've made me believe_  
_That what we had, boy_  
_Oh, that what we had, what we had, it was all we'd ever need_  
_It was all we'd ever need_

Nathan couldn't take it anymore so he stood up and rushed outside. Haley looked up and saw him make a dash for the exist, so she quickly thanked everyone and ran after him.

"Nathan!" She called after him as he continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Nathan!" She tried again.

Nathan heard her but didn't answer, so he continued to walk away.

Haley huffed and decided to run after him. She finally caught up and she grabbed his suit jacket. "Nathan, please talk to me!"

"I have nothing to say to you Haley!"

"Why did you leave?" She panted.

"Because I need to clear my head."

"Why?" Haley pressed.

"Because I'm confused as hell!" Nathan sighed. "I don't know what to think any more. You show up with a date, you say you're going to miss me, you make out with that tool bag, and then you sing about how you want us to get back together! What are you trying to do to me Haley?"

"I want you back Nathan." Haley said.

Nathan threw his hands in the air. "Are you kidding me?"

"No. I'm serious. I'm done playing games. I want to be with you Nathan. You promised me always and forever, and I want that!"

Nathan ran a tired hand through his hair. "I tried to get back together with you Haley, but you brought someone else. I can't keep playing games like this. You're killing me. My heart can't take it anymore."

"I don't want to play games either, and that's why I'm telling you I want to be with you. I really think we can make this work. We aren't kids anymore, Nathan. I want you."

Nathan sighed, "Why couldn't you tell me this a few years ago, when I needed you to say it?"

"I don't know I was just young and scared and it took me five years to realize this but I lo-"

"Don't say it." Nathan interjected. "Please, I can't take it."

Haley pulled Nathan close to her and looked into his deep blue eyes, "What we have is special. I don't care what you say, that summer was not just a fling. We would've been able to move on if it was just a fling, but I never moved on and I know you didn't either, so why are we even fighting this? When we danced tonight-"

"It meant nothing Haley-"

"Stop lying to yourself!" Haley shouted. "You know it meant something. We belong together Nathan, and I'm going to fight like hell until you realize it too."

"I'm leaving tomorrow Haley. My life is in Charlotte now. I'm sorry, you had your chance and you blew it."

Haley felt the tears springing behind her eyes and it slowly cascaded down her cheek.

Nathan saw the small tear and he could see her heart breaking. In the beginning of the night he wanted to break her heart just like she broke his, but now standing in front of her he couldn't do that. He couldn't deny his feelings either. He slowly leaned down and captured Haley's lips in an earth shattering kiss. The stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moon was shining bright over them. It was the perfect setting, and just like in Haley's song- it was really like a movie.

Haley reluctantly pulled away, her eyes still shut, afraid that if she opened them, it would be just a dream. "That was..." She began.

Nathan sighed. "So wrong, but felt so right?" He offered, and Haley opened her eyes and nodded.

Haley bit her lip and glanced toward the hotel where the party was being held. "Listen, I have to go back to the party, but tonight, I'll be in room 323, if you want to um, drop by..."

Nathan only meekly nodded and watched as she made her way back into the hotel. He took a deep breath, and glanced up at the sky, hoping there would be some kind of answer there.

* * *

The rest of the party went by in a blur, and finally Chase came up to him at the end.

"Hey man I just wanted to let you know Haley and I aren't together. I only was here to make you jealous, and right now she's in her hotel room crying because she think's you're leaving tomorrow so if I were you I would go an talk to her." Chase advised.

Nathan just nodded, and took a deep breath.

When Chase walked away, Alex came strutting over to Nathan and smiled.

"So I'm to my hotel room. It's 324. I expect you to be in my bed. Naked. In five minutes." She winked and then skipped away.

Nathan gulped and squeezed his eyes shut. He walked over to the elevator and sighed.

He could either go to Haley's room and talk to her, and hopefully work things out with her, or he could go with his original plan which was to screw Alex, and forget about Haley.

Nathan walked down the long narrow hotel hallway and stopped at the door. He looked to his right. It was room 323. He looked to his left, it was room 324. He took a deep breath to calm his heart rate. He could only hope he was making the right decision as he turned and knocked on the door.

"Here it goes..." He muttered to himself.

* * *

**Hahaha so I made the ending purposely like that. Find out next chapter what room he goes in. DON'T HATE ME **

**thoughts and reviews? Thanks :) **


	16. Second Chance

**So I decided to do something a little different. I hope it's not too confusing, but I'm really happy with the way this chapter turned out so let me know what you think, and if you're confused don't hesitate to ask questions. Thanks for all the support! xoxo**

**This chapter is rated M: It's not too detailed because I suck at writing 'love' scenes, but if it offends you at any way, just skip over it ;)**

**I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO MY WONDERFUL COUSIN SHANNON: THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING, I LOVE YOU GIRL! **

* * *

"Here it goes..." Nathan mumbled to himself, as he gulped hard, and knocked three times on the door.

He stood there for what felt like hours, which in reality it was only about 30 seconds, until the door swung open.

"There you are." She smiled. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

Nathan didn't know what to say, so he just smiled.

"Well are you coming inside?" She smiled flirtatiously.

"Oh uh yeah." He choked out, and slowly followed her into the hotel room.

"So..." She began, and turned around to face Nathan, as she slowly made her way over to him.

Nathan's feet were cemented into the floor, and didn't move. "So.." He countered.

She placed her hand on his cheek, and licked her lips lightly. "We should start where we left off. Don't you think?" She smirked.

Nathan quirked an eyebrow. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Is it working?" She whispered sexily against his lips.

"You tell me." He flirted back.

She smiled widely and pressed her lips against his, for a long, yet gentle, kiss.

As soon as the kiss was progressing, she quickly pulled away, "What about..?"

"Just, let's not talk about her now. She doesn't matter." Nathan shushed her with another kiss.

The girl smiled and willingly let Nathan kiss her back, not knowing what the consequences would be.

"_This is so wrong._" He thought to himself.

* * *

_Haley's 18th Birthday: _

_"I can not believe we just got tattoo's!" Nathan chuckled as he and Haley walked hand-in-hand back to his cabin._

_Haley giggled and starred at his left wrist, which was slightly raised and a tomato red color. "I like them." _

_Nathan just simply smiled and stopped in front of his cabin door. "Close your eyes." He instructed._

_"What? Why?" Haley asked._

_"Just do what I say, you goof." Nathan demanded in a jovial voice._

_Haley playfully stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, and closed her eyes. Nathan walked behind her and placed his hands over her eyes._

_"Just in case you try peeking." Nathan explained._

_Haley bit down her lip, and slowly walked inside as Nathan gently pushed her through the door._

_"It's another birthday present." Nathan smiled as he slowly took his hands off of Haley's eyes, and stood in front of her to gauge her reaction._

_Haley eagerly opened her eyes, and her mouth dropped, and her big brown eyes widened like saucers. "Oh my god!" She muttered._

_"Look we don't have to do anything-" Nathan began, but was interrupted when Haley pounced on him, capturing his lips in a heated kiss._

_"This is all- amazing! You're amazing." Haley murmured against Nathan's lips. _

_"You like it?" Nathan asked nervously as he glanced around the cabin. Before he took Haley to dinner, he set up a bunch of candles, and spread rose pedals around the floor, and spread numerous pillows around the floor. In the middle was a giant heart made from the rose pedals, and in the center was a a wine bottle and two glasses. _

_"I love it!" Haley said breathlessly as she attacked Nathan's lips._

_Nathan reluctantly pulled away and tenderly grabbed Haley's hand._

_"Listen, we don't- I mean- I'm not trying to pressure you or anything- that's not why I did this. I did this for your birthday, and I mean you can sleep over, and I can sleep on the couch, because I want you to be comfortable-" Nathan ranted._

_Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed Nathan's face to kiss him again. "I'm ready, Nathan."_

_Nathan's mouth went dry at her words. "Wh-what?" _

_"I want to sleep with you." Haley said firmly as she looked into his crystal blue eyes._

_"Hales-"_

_"I'm serious."_

_"Haley, no. I won't let you-"_

_"Don't you want me?" Haley pouted._

_"God, yes. You don't know how badly I do, but that's the thing. I don't want to take advantage of you. I know you want to wait and I respect that-"_

_Haley sighed, "I don't want to wait anymore. You're it for me Nathan Scott. I don't want to look back one day and regret the fact that I didn't go all the way with you..."_

_"Haley this is a big deal for you. I don't want you to regret this. You can;t undo it."_

_"I know that Nathan, but I want you. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I'm ready." Haley said confidently._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes!" Haley stated. "I'm glad you're concerned and everything but I'm ready."_

_Nathan just gulped and nodded slowly._

_Haley grabbed Nathan's hand and pulled him to the floor where the blankets and pillows were spread around the floor._

_"How did you do this?" Haley giggled, referring to all the lit candles._

_"I set everything up before we left, and I just texted Luke when we were on out way and he lit them for me." Nathan explained._

_"My man thinks of everything." Haley joked and sat on Nathan's lap. _

_Nathan chuckled, and popped a light kiss on her lips. "So did you h ave a good birthday Hales?"_

_"The best." Haley smiled. "It was all because of you."_

_Nathan smirked, and poured the champagne into two glasses, as he handed one to Haley._

_"Cheers, to the best girlfriend ever, and for gracing the earth with your presence eighteen years ago." _

_Haley rolled her eyes at his lame toast, but clinked her glass against his and took a small sip. When she finished she pulled Nathan on top of her as they spread across the blanket clad floor, and their tongues dueled in a heated battle. _

_"You're perfect." Haley said, half-moaning._

_"Happy birthday baby." Nathan whispered._

_"I lo-" The words died on her lips and she quickly bit her lip to stop them from coming out._

_Nathan didn't hear her and started to place warm wet kisses on the column of her neck. _

_Haley placed her hands under Nathan's shirt, and lightly scratched his well defined abs. _

_Nathan made his way to the sweet spot under Haley's ear and gently sucked on the skin. Haley whimpered lightly and pulled Nathan back to her lips._

_The kiss grew with intensity, as did Haley's body temperature. Nathan slowly pulled away from the kiss as Haley grabbed at the hem of his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head and threw it somewhere on the floor. Nathan smirked and placed his hands on the bottom of Haley's shirt as he slowly removed the garment._

_"Is this okay?" Nathan whispered._

_Haley bit her lip and slowly nodded. "Perfect."_

_Nathan tried to keep his composure as he stared at Haley's lacy black bra. Haley saw Nathan's eyes darken, and blushed slightly as she felt his intense gaze upon her._

_"You're beautiful." Nathan said as he looked back into Haley's brown, doe like eyes._

_Haley blush grew deeper, and swallowed. "I need you now."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes Nathan!" Haley said slightly agitated._

_Nathan smiled softly , and pressed a tender kiss on her lips. "Okay."_

_Haley helped Nathan out of his khaki shorts, so he was just left in a pair of blue boxers, and Haley slowly slid out of her jeans, leaving her in her matching lacy black underwear._

_Nathan's hand slowly caressed the inside of her thigh, and she let out a soft moan._

_His eyes looked back into her's and swallowed hard. He stared for about a minute, until Haley smiled._

_"It's okay." She said again._

_"Are you su-"_

_"If you ask me again, I'm going to hit you!" Haley joked._

_Nathan laughed lightly, "So you like it rough huh?"_

_Haley rolled her eyes._

_"Don't worry baby, I'm going to try my hardest not to hurt you, okay? I'll be gentle." He said sincerely._

_Haley bit her lip and simply nodded._

_They soon removed the rest of their clothing, so they were left completely bare._

_Haley took a deep breath as Nathan placed a trail of kisses on her stomach._

_"Are you ready?" Nathan asked gently._

_Haley smiled, "Yes." She whispered._

_"You're so damn beautiful."_

_Nathan gazed into her eyes one more time just to be sure, and he slowly slid into her._

_Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, tightly and squeezed her eyes shut._

_Nathan placed a kiss on her collarbone and continued his ministrations. Haley then wrapped her legs around his waist, and after the pain subsided, she cried out in pleasure._

_For the rest of the night, the two showed each other how much they truly cared for the other, and stayed up all night, cuddling, kissing, talking- and although they didn't admit they 'loved' each other yet- they made love. _

* * *

**_My eyes are open wide_**  
**_And by the way, I made it_**  
**_Through the day_**  
**_I watched the world outside_**  
**_By the way, I'm leaving out_**  
**_Today_**

**_I just saw Hayley's comet_**  
**_She waved_**  
**_Said, "Why you always running in place?"_**  
**_Even the man in the_**  
**_Moon disappeared_**  
**_Somewhere in the_**  
**_Stratosphere_**

**_Tell my mother,_**  
**_Tell my father_**  
**_I've done the best I can_**  
**_To make them realize_**  
**_This is my life_**  
**_I hope they understand_**  
**_I'm not angry, I'm just saying..._**  
**_Sometimes goodbye_**  
**_Is a second chance_**

**_Please don't cry_**  
**_One tear for me_**  
**_I'm not afraid of_**  
**_What I have to say_**  
**_This is my one and_**  
**_Only voice_**  
**_So listen close, it's_**  
**_Only for today_**

**_I just saw Hayley's comet_**  
**_She waved_**  
**_Said, "Why you always running in place?"_**  
**_Even the man in the_**  
**_Moon disappeared_**  
**_Somewhere in the_**  
**_Stratosphere_**

**_Tell my mother,_**  
**_Tell my father_**  
**_I've done the best I can_**  
**_To make them realize_**  
**_This is my life_**  
**_I hope they understand_**  
**_I'm not angry, I'm just saying..._**  
**_Sometimes goodbye_**  
**_Is a second chance_**

**_Here's my chance_**  
**_This is my chance_**

**_Sometimes goodbye_**  
**_Is a second chance_**

* * *

Alex Dupre groaned as the sunlight came flooding through the hotel room. She slowly rolled over, but came in contact with a hard body.

"What the hell?" She mumbled.

"Good morning." The guy smirked.

"What happened last night?" She asked as she looked around the hotel room that had numerous articles of clothing scattered around the floor.

"I believe we had sex." He smirked. "Either that or I had the best freaking dream ever!"

Alex giggled, "That's funny. I really don't remember anything..."

"Yeah we got pretty wasted." He explained.

"What happened to that girl you were with yesterday?" Alex asked.

"Oh, you mean Haley?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah. Her."

"I wouldn't worry about her. She'll be fine." He explained.

* * *

Haley's eyes slowly opened and it took a second for them to adjust to the light. She gently rubbed her eyes, and let out a small yawn. She glanced at the digital clock on the night stand. It was 9:23. She slowly leaned up, and that's when she noticed her lack of clothing. Her eyes widened as last night's memories came flashing back to her.

* * *

_"We shouldn't be doing this." He mumbled._

_"Why not?"_

_"It's not right..." _

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes. "Well it feels right." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. _

* * *

Nathan glanced up at the giant board with the flight schedule posted on it in green, digital letters. He sighed deeply. "Flight From Tree Hill to Charlotte: On time" it read. He ran a tired hand through his hair, and walked over to the large window, as he looked out at the planes that were landing and taking off. He was going back home. He had to. No matter what happened last night... Last night. He thought. He tried his best not to smile, but he couldn't help it.

* * *

_Nathan pulled away breathlessly from the kiss, and leaned his forehead against hers. _

_"Did I tell you how amazing you looked tonight?" He asked._

_She giggled. "I don't remember."_

_"Well then I guess I better say it again." He smirked. "You looked so freaking sexy." He whispered as he ran his hands down her sides. _

_"You think so?" She asked biting her lip._

_"Oh I know so." He flirted._

_"Why are you here?" She suddenly asked._

_"You told me-" Nathan started._

_"I mean, you could be across the hall right now. Why aren't you?"_

_"Are you complaining? I mean if you really want me to, I can go there now-"_

_"No!" She screamed. "You're mine now." She said possessively. "Screw her!"_

_"Screw her? Hmm, I don't think that'd be a good idea..."_

_She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."_

_"Three some? Damn. That's kinky. Even for you." Nathan joked._

_Another eye roll. "Be serious for a minute please."_

_"I am serious." Nathan smirked._

_"Just- why are you here? Why me?"_

_"You know why." Nathan smiled sincerely and gently brushed a dirty blonde curl behind her ear. _

_She just smiled shyly. _

* * *

Haley rolled over expecting that hard body to be next to her, but instead, she just felt cold sheets. Was it just a dream? Maybe he never came last night. Maybe it wall all just in her head. Where the hell was he? It couldn't have been a dream... could it?

* * *

_"Tell me why." Haley demanded._

_He rolled his eyes. "Why?"_

_"Because I want to hear you say it. Plus, I'm really confused." Haley whined._

_"About what?"_

_"I thought you said you gave up on us?"_

_He sighed. "I guess I wanted to but I couldn't."_

_Haley smiled widely, and squealed loudly. "So what does this mean?"_

_"Honestly, Haley. I don't know. I don't even know why I'm here."_

_"Oh." Haley sighed. "Well I just wanted to talk to you, I guess. If you really want to, you can leave. I understand."_

_"I don't know why I'm here," he started, "But I am, and I'm not changing my mind, because you're right. We do really need to talk." _

* * *

"What about you?" Chase asked._ "_Weren't you with Nathan last night?"

"I don't know where he went. I mean, he was supposed to come here last night but he never did." She shrugged.

"His loss, my gain." Chase smirked.

"Do you think he was with Haley?" Alex asked as she laid her head on Chase's chest.

"I hope so, I mean, last night she was waiting up crying over him. I told him to check on her, so I'm assuming he did."

"Well I really hope they worked everything out." Alex gushed. "It was so obvious he had a thing for her."

"Yeah." Chase agreed.

"I have to say," Alex said, "When I woke up, I thought it was him, but I'm glad it's not. I was secretly hoping he and Haley would end up together. Plus, you're totally hot." She winked.

"Well in that case, I'm glad I went to the bar last night, because I had my eye on you all day yesterday, and when I saw you sitting alone at the bar, I wanted to make a move."

"I'm glad you did, Chase Adams." Alex smiled, and pecked a light kiss on his lips.

"Oh yeah. Me too."

* * *

Haley groaned as she laid on her back in the hotel bed.

Maybe he went to get breakfast? She thought to herself.

She didn't understand it. Everything seemed to be perfect last night, so why the hell wasn't he there?

* * *

_Nathan sighed as he sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair, anxiously waiting to board the plane. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he hadn't made the wrong decision. He chose room 323. How could he not choose Haley? She came above everything. Last night was definitely NOT a mistake, he knew that for sure. The only mistake he would be making is if he board this plane, and left. He inwardly groaned as he imagined Haley waking up, and freaking out that he wasn't next to her- where he should be. He felt bad. If it was anybody else, he wouldn't think twice about ditching that night's conquest, but Haley was not a conquest. She was a jewel, and now, he left that jewel, and he was starting to think that was a huge mistake. The only reason why he left was that he was afraid that Haley would kick him out and say it was a mistake. So to save himself the heartbreak- he left. _

* * *

_(LAST NIGHT):_

_"Look, there are so many things we need to talk about..." Haley began,"But right now, I just want to be with you. I really did miss you." She said as she looked into those familiar blue eyes, that she has grown to love immensely._

_Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "I missed you too."_

_Haley smiled softly and placed a hand over his heart. "I'm sorry I broke your heart. You know I never meant to hurt you."_

_Nathan gave her a sad smile, "I know."_

_"I really want a second chance Nathan. I promise you I won't screw anything up this time." She joked lightly._

_Nathan exhaled deeply. "I'm in the NBA..."_

_"It's your off season now." Haley stated knowingly. "Besides, if we really work at it, we can make it work. Please, just give me another chance?" She begged._

_"I need to think about it." Nathan said after a small silence._

_Haley bit her lip and nodded, "Okay. Is there anything I can do to possibly convince you?" She asked flirtatiously as she ran her fingers up and down Nathan's chest. _

_Nathan gulped, "Um, I- I don't know." He stuttered. _

_Haley smirked and placed her arms around his neck and gently pulled his face towards hers, and pulled him in for a feverish kiss. "You're a better kisser than I remembered." Haley flirted._

_Nathan smirked, "I've had a lot of practice."_

_Haley's smile instantly faltered and she looked at the ground._

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Nathan began._

_"It's fine." Haley said in a quiet voice. "I've heard about your um reputation..."_

_Nathan sighed, "Hales-"_

_"No it's okay, you don't have to explain. It's my fault your like that. I broke your heart, and I'm sorry-" She cried as she felt her eyes start to tear up._

_Nathan frowned and placed his thumb on her cheek, "Hey, let's not talk about this anymore okay? It's in the past. We're both here now. Together. Right? Let's make this time count."_

_Haley giggled lightly. "You're right. We have five years to make up for."_

_Nathan smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her flush up against his body. He swiftly leaned down and captured Haley's lips in a heated kiss._

_Haley immediately parted her lips to grant Nathan access, and he willingly slid his tongue in her mouth, eagerly exploring the familiar grounds. _

_Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly walked backwards until the back of her knees his the bed. Nathan didn't detach his lips and continued to kiss her senselessly as he gently laid her back on the bed. Haley crawled backwards on the bed, and pulled on Nathan's black tie._

_"Still have a tie fetish I see." Nathan joked._

_Haley giggled, and swiftly pulled him in top of her. Nathan rested his elbows on either side of her body, and hovered above her so he wouldn't hurt her._

_He went to kiss her again, but she quickly turned her face._

_"Hales-" Nathan whined._

_"Nathan, don't get me wrong, I really want you, but- it's just- shouldn't we talk about our problems? I feel like we're cheating ourselves." Haley said quietly._

_Nathan looked into her deep brown eyes, and ran his hand over her soft cheek. "Maybe this is what we need. Talking won't get us far, because it will lead to more problems, but this is right. We need this."_

_Haley felt her slowly resolving into his explanation. She knew they really had to talk, but she also really, really wanted to make love to him. Maybe he's right- She told her self- maybe this is what we need..._

_Haley smiled and kissed him again. "Okay." She squeaked, and she eagerly started unbuttoning his white shirt._

_Nathan placed his lips in the crook of her neck, and gently sucked the skin there as she let out a loud moan. _

_Once Haley unbuttoned his shirt, Nathan sat up and helped her peel his shirt off, and they threw it across the room. Haley marveled at his well defined chest, and six pack abs. He definitely got more muscular, and a hell of a lot hotter than she remembered. _

_"You like what you see?" Nathan smirked as he noticed her starring at his muscular abs. _

_Haley blushed and quickly looked away._

_"C'mon, say it." Nathan pressed. "You think I'm hot."_

_Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Still cocky, I see." _

_Nathan chuckled and ran his fingers up her thigh as he rubbed slow circles there. "Nathan!" Haley attempted to scold him, but it came out more of a moan._

_"Say it!" Nathan demanded playfully and continued his ministrations._

_Haley bit her lip, and squeezed her eyes shut as Nathan nuzzled his nose against her neck, and softly bit her flesh. _

_"I need you now." Haley moaned._

_"Not until you say I'm sexy." Nathan teased._

_Haley sighed deeply, and looked into his light blue eyes, that were slowly darkening. "Fine, you are so freaking sexy." She relented._

_Nathan smirked and leaned down to kiss her again. Their tongues battled for dominance, and after the need for air, he breathlessly pulled away. "You're pretty sexy yourself Haley Bob James."_

_"You remembered my middle name?" Haley laughed._

_"Of course. How could I forget. It's Bob!"_

_Haley lightly slapped him across the chest, "Don't make fun of me!"_

_Nathan laughed lightly and kissed her lips tenderly. He once again pulled away- much to Haley's protest- and looked down at her._

_"You're overdressed." He stated._

_Haley giggled and slowly lifted her self off the bed as Nathan gently slid her dress off of her. _

_Nathan then swiftly unbuckled his black pants, and slid them off as he tossed them to the side._

_Haley blushed as she looked down to his obvious arousal, and Nathan leaned down to place light butterfly kisses across her stomach. Haley ran her hands through his raven black hair, and felt herself sinking into the mattress. _

_"Now Nathan." She screamed._

_Nathan laughed and kissed her lips. "Someone's anxious." He teased._

_Haley huffed and quickly pulled his boxers down, as she did with her underwear. She lifted herself off of the bed, and Nathan unclasped her bra. Nathan looked back into her deep brown eyes, to double check that she was comfortable with this. _

_"Are you sure?" He asked._

_Haley rolled her eyes, and smiled. "Yes."_

_Nathan then took the opportunity to gently slide into her, loving the way they fit together. _

_Haley cried out in pleasure, as he gently rocked his hips._

_The rest of the night Nathan and Haley cuddled, kissed, and made love- both loving and rough- several times, just like the first time. _

* * *

"Flight 2303 will now be boarding to Charlotte North Carolina." The flight attendant announced over a loud speaker. Nathan snapped out of his flashback, and sighed. He checked his watch, and sighed. Haley was probably just waking up, and freaking out.

* * *

_Nathan woke up with Haley wrapped up in his tight embrace, and their legs were tangled. Her head lay on his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her back. He couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling he got in his chest. He wished he could wake up like this everyday. Nathan sighed and looked at Haley's sleeping form. She looked so angelic, and peaceful. Her long eyelashes were sticking out, and her lips were curved slightly upwards. He pressed a long kiss on her forehead, and slowly untangled himself from her arms. She squirmed a little, but ended up grabbing his pillow, and clutched on to it tightly. She mumbled something incoherent, and Nathan had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. He then felt a wave of sadness rush over him because he had to leave. He was praying he was making the right decision. He figured it would be better to leave, then have her kick him out- yet again. He didn't want her to think it was a mistake, so he quickly grabbed a pen, and a sticky note that the hotel had left, and he scribbled a note. He then got dressed, grabbed his things, and kissed Haley one last time. _

_"I'm sorry..." Nathan whispered, and then made his way through the door._

* * *

Haley let out a loud groan, and glanced around the hotel room. Not one of Nathan's clothing was left. A small tear trickled down her cheek, and she went to wipe it away with her index finger. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a bright yellow piece of paper on the other side of the night table.

She threw on an old t-shirt and and reached across the bed to grab the paper.

_"Hales,_

_I'm sorry. Last night was amazing, and I don't regret it for a second. I have to go back to Charlotte though... please don't hate me._

_Love,_

_Nathan."_

By the time Haley finished reading the note, she let a loud sob wrack through her body.

She lay on the bed clutching his pillow, as tears were streaming down her face.

* * *

"Last call for flight 2303 to Charlotte, North Carolina." The flight attendant announced once again. Nathan grabbed his suitcase and slowly rolled it over to the boarding area.

"Hello Mr. Scott, how are you today?" The stewardess asked politely.

Nathan slumped his shoulders, "I've been better."

The stewardess took his ticket, and smiled. "Well have a great trip, and thank you for traveling with Jet Blue." She said a little too happily.

Nathan fought the urge to roll his eyes, and he reluctantly walked through the tunnel that led to airplane. He looked back one last time and frowned.

* * *

Haley had no idea what the hell she was doing. One minute she was crying, and the next thing she knew she ran out of the hotel, screamed for a taxi, and now she was on her way to Tree Hill airport.

"DRIVE FASTER!" She demanded.

The taxi driver didn't look back, but instead kept his eyes fixed on the road. "I'm sorry m'am, but I need to abide by the rules-"

"I don't give a shit!" Haley snapped. "I need to get to the airport as soon as possible." She fidgeted.

"Okay, okay, I'm driving!" The driver defended.

After what felt like forever, the driver finally pulled up in front of the airport, and Haley threw a twenty dollar bill in the front seat.

"Keep the change!" She called, and ran into the airport.

People were walking left and right, and Haley stood in the middle like a lost fish. She had no idea what she was doing or where she was going. She heard an announcement that said the plane to Charlotte, North Carolina was now boarding, and she sprinted through the airport, until she was stopped by security.

"I'm sorry m'am but you need a boarding pass to get through this gate."

Haley's face flushed white. "I'm not even going on the plane, I just- I need to tell someone something-"

"I'm sorry m'am, I can't let you through." The security guard said gruffly.

"Dammit!" Haley cursed. "Alright, just I need a ticket for the plane to Charlotte."

"You better hurry. That plane is about to take off,"

"I know!" She screamed. "Hurry up!"

The security guard looked at her strangely. "The ticket is $350."

"What?" Haley screamed. "I- ugh!" She groaned. "Okay, whatever just please hurry!"

The guard handed her the ticket, as she threw her credit card at him. Once the transaction was complete, Haley grabbed the card and ticket, and sprinted through the airport. She never ran that fast in her entire life. She hit into a few people along the way but she didn't even care.

She finally made it to the gate where the plane to Charlotte was, and made her way over to the opening.

"I need to stop this plane!" Haley screamed.

The stewardess looked up and gave her a funny look, 'I'm sorry. What?"

"Nathan Scott- he's on this plane- I have to stop him,"

"I'm sorry, the gate is now officially closed." The stewardess frowned and before Haley could answer she looked out the window, and saw that the plane was taking off.

She dropped her purse, and collapsed on the floor, and sobbed loudly. She hugged her knees, and choked out a loud cry. She sat there for several minutes, crying hysterically, until she heard a familiar voice.

"Haley?"

* * *

Nathan was standing in front of the plane door, and stopped dead in his tracks. If he got on this plane, that would mean that he would never get to be with Haley. He waited five years to be wither her again. He couldn't get on this plane.

"Can you go in the plane already?" A red headed lady snapped, as she stood in back of him.

Nathan turned around and sighed, "Sorry." He jogged back to the gate, and away from the plane.

"Son? Where are you going?" A security guard asked. "This gate is now closed, you need to get back on the plane."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, "I can't. I mean- I don't want to. I change my mind. Please, let me out."

The guard looked at Nathan and furrowed his eyebrows. "You're Nathan Scott aren't you?"

"Yeah, and I really need to get off this plane. I left the girl I love, and I need to get her back, please, just please let me off."

The guard nodded, and shook Nathan's hand. "I'm only letting you do this because I'm a huge Bobcat fan."

"Thank you so much!" Nathan let out happily.

"Good luck!" The guard called after him, and Nathan sprinted out of the terminal, and into the waiting area again.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar blonde hunched in a ball, sobbing.

"Haley?"

* * *

Haley's head shot up, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the figure. Was it just a figment of her imagination, or was he really there right now?

"Hales, are you okay?" The voice asked.

At the sound of his voice, she let out another sob, but quickly jumped up and ran into his arms.

Nathan was shocked when Haley ran into his arms, but he instantly picked her up and spun her around.

"I thought you were on that plane." Haley cried into his neck.

Nathan rubbed soothing circles on her back, and kissed the top of her head. "I couldn't do it."

Haley squeezed her eyes shut and kissed his neck.

"Shh, Hales. It's okay. I'm here now."

Haley pulled away, and looked into his blue eyes, with her teary brown ones. "I thought you left me."

"Never." Nathan choked out and gently placed her on the ground.

Haley kept her arms wrapped around his neck, and kissed him senselessly. "I'm mad at you for almost leaving." She said through her tears.

Nathan sighed, "I know. I'm sorry. That was so stupid. What are you doing here?"

"I came to stop you, but when I got here I saw the plane was taking off and I didn't know what to do-"

"I got off before it took off. I realized that I didn't want to leave you." Nathan explained.

"Why did you leave in the first place?" Haley asked as she cried into his chest, not caring if her tears were staining his shirt.

"I thought you were going to kick me out or say it was a mistake." Nathan said quietly.

Haley softly rubbed his cheek and looked into his eyes. "I would never say that Nathan. I meant what I said last night. I want you."

Nathan nodded and leaned down for a tender, yet passionate kiss.

Haley pulled away and bit her lip. "I love you Nathan Scott."

* * *

**I hate to brag, but I am so happy with the way this chapter turned out. I honestly think it was the best thing I've ever written, and I hope you guys think that too! **

**If any of you watch FRIENDS then you'll know that the airport scene was inspired by Ross and Rachel ;)**

**So Naley is FINALLY together. I hope it was worth the wait, but don't worry this story is not over yet. It's actually just beginning...**

**I'm sorry if this chapter was confusing at first, I made it that way on purpose to try and trick everyone, so I hope it worked.**

**If you're still confused,**

**Nathan chose room 323 and went to Haley's room.**

**Alex went to the bar, and hooked up with Chase, and that's who she woke up with in the morning, not Nathan.**

**Any questions, just PM me! **

**I hope you liked this chapter, please, please, please, let me know what you think (even if you hated it)**

**Thanks again for all the support and reviews/follows/favorites. You are the best and you inspire me everyday to keep doing what I love, and this story wouldn't even be happening if it wasn't for you! SO THANK YOU! and some of you have been asking about GIVE YOUR HEART A BREAK, don't worry I will go back to it, but I want to finish this story first. Sorry...**

**_Song credit: Second Chance by Shinedown _**

**_ xox Jill_**

**_follow on twitter naleyjethanyfan for story updates _**


	17. My Kind Of Night

**Okay seriously, the reviews I got last chapter were freakin' amazing. You guys are so sweet, and I wish I could thank you individually. Anyway, here's chapter 17, it's pretty fluffy because the last chapters were pretty dramatic, and who doesn't love naley fluff? So, I hope you like it. :) I tried to update as soon as possible because y'all are amazing. **

**BTW This chapter is my worst writing quality which sucks because last chapter was my best, but I was in a rush to post this so it sucks. Hopefully next update will be Monday. I'm super busy with work/life in general so I'll try my best to update ASAP. Thanks. (This chapter is a filler, but all Naley)**

**Oh and I'm in a depression because Brantley Gilbert and Jana Kramer called off their wedding. Please excuse me while I cry for the next 48 hours. **

**CHAPTER 18: MY KIND OF NIGHT (Luke Bryan's New CD) yay! basically listened to it the entire time I wrote this.. **

* * *

Two weeks later...

Nathan stood anxiously in front of Haley's door, and knocked three times. He smiled widely as the door swung open, revealing a pajama clad Haley.

"Nathan!" Haley screamed as her cheeks turned a crimson red. She looked down at herself and realized she was wearing a white t-shirt and pink and yellow plaid pajama shorts. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she had no make up on.

She starred back at Nathan and quickly closed the door on him.

Nathan furrowed his brows at the now closed door, and knocked again.

"Hales, open up!" He demanded softly.

"I can't let you in!" She said through the door.

Nathan chuckled, "Why not?"

"Because I had no idea you were coming over, and I look like shit!" She cried.

Nathan smiled, "Haley, that's impossible. You can never look like shit, now let me in you goof!"

Haley opened the door slightly, and just stuck her head out. "What are you doing here? It's late, and I thought you were hanging out with your friends-"

"Does a guy really need a reason to see his girlfriend?" Nathan smiled.

Haley opened the door a little wider, and her jaw dropped a little. "What did you just say?" Haley asked quietly.

"Uhh..." Nathan stuttered. Clearly is was too soon to refer to her as his girlfriend... "I wanted to see you."

"No, no, after that."

"Oh." Nathan looked at his feet nervously. "Um well I called you my girlfriend, but if it's too soon-" Nathan mumbled, but was cut off when Haley threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

He reluctantly pulled away and smirked, "What was that for?"

"Does a girl need an excuse to kiss her sexy boyfriend?" Haley matched his smirk.

Nathan chuckled, and leaned down for a sweet kiss.

"I better go change." Haley said pulling away from the kiss, but Nathan gently grabbed her forearm and spun her around back to him.

"You look beautiful Haley." Nathan said.

"Ugh no I don't. I like to look at least half-way decent for my boyfriend."

"You don't even have to try, you always look good babe." Nathan said honestly.

"You're so cheesy!" Haley said as she playfully swatted his shoulder.

Nathan slid his hands down her waist and leaned down to peck her lips. "I happen to think you look incredibly cute in these pajamas."

"Oh really?" Haley flirted.

"Really." Nathan stated and kissed her yet again. "And besides... the activities I have planned for us tonight, doesn't even involve clothing."

Haley rolled her eyes, "So what? You came here for a late night booty call?"

Nathan chuckled and pulled away to grab the items out of the plastic bag he was holding. "No, actually I brought a couple of movies, and popcorn."

"Aw you're the sweetest." Haley smiled and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

Nathan smiled cheekily and pulled her over to the couch. "I missed you." Nathan said into her neck.

"You saw me this morning." Haley giggled.

"I know, but I still missed you."

Haley bit her lip and Nathan started to attack her neck with his lips.

"You know... Brooke and Lucas are coming home from their honeymoon tomorrow. Where are you going to stay?" Haley asked Nathan.

Nathan sighed. Haley was always stressed about something. For the past 2 weeks, since Brooke and Lucas were away on their Honeymoon, Nathan has been staying at their house. He had the summer off, and didn't need to be back in Charlotte until September for training. Since he and Haley had gotten back together, he decided to stay in Tree Hill for the remaining time, so that they could be together.

"I guess I'll go back to the hotel." Nathan shrugged, not really thinking about it.

"That's expensive!" Haley advised.

"I'm in the NBA, don't worry about it." Nathan smirked.

Haley bit her lip, "Well I know we just got back together but um if you want- you don't have to say yes- it's just a suggestion...I was thinking that um you can live with me until the season starts."

Nathan stopped kissing Haley's neck, and looked into her deep brown eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "I mean only if you want to..."

Nathan cut her off and kissed her deeply. After a few minutes, he pulled away. "I'd love to live with you Hales."

Haley's face broke out into a full blown smile. "Really?"

Nathan's smile mirrored Haley's. "Definitely. I mean we have five years to make up for right? Plus, I'll probably be seeing you every day anyway, so it makes sense."

"Do you think it's crazy if we live together?" Haley asked biting her lip.

Nathan pushed back a piece of her hair behind her ear and kissed her nose.

"Nah, we're not crazy. We're just better than most couples." Nathan replied.

Haley laughed lightly, "Why?"

"Because, we found each other at eighteen, and even after five years of being apart, we became stronger." Nathan smiled and kissed her lips.

"Do you think we're moving too fast?" Haley asked worriedly.

"No, we're just picking up where we left off." He smirked.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes. "Brooke is going to freak out when we tell her."

"Good freak out or bad?" Nathan laughed nervously.

"Oh it'll be good. Don't worry." Haley laughed.

"So I'm probably going to have to drive up to Charlotte and get some of my stuff. I'm running out of clothes."

Haley pouted, 'I'm going to miss you."

"Well you could come with me, I mean, you're off for the summer, and I really want you to meet my parents."

Haley's eyes widened, "Your- your parents?" She stuttered.

"Well yeah, I'm sure they've been dying to meet the girl who had my heart for the past five years." Nathan smiled.

Haley blushed lightly, "What if they hate me?"

"They won't."

"I broke their son's heart. Obviously they're going to hate me." Haley sighed exasperatedly.

Nathan wrapped his arms tighter around Haley's waist and looked deeply into her eyes. "I promise you. They're going to love you. Okay?"

Haley ran her lower lip through her teeth and smiled slightly. "Okay."

Nathan pushed Haley closer to his body and pulled her in for a deep, long kiss.

Haley reluctantly pulled away and sighed happily. "I'm so happy we're finally together."

"Me too. You have no idea how much I missed you."

Haley frowned, "I think I have a pretty good idea."

Nathan chuckled, and reluctantly tore himself from Haley's tight grasp, and got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Haley pouted.

"I want popcorn." Nathan explained.

Haley smiled and got up from the couch. "Okay, you make the popcorn, I'll pick the movie."

"I brought a few different ones. 'Iron Man' and 'Bruce Almighty' and 'Spiderman."

Haley rolled her eyes, "Babe, those movies are all guy movies."

"So?" Nathan questioned.

"So, I think you made a promise to me five years ago that we could watch 'The Notebook.'" Haley smiled cunningly.

"Is it a chick flick?" Nathan whined.

"Oh no." Haley lied. "Don't worry. You'll like it."

"Alright, you set it up. I'll make the popcorn." Nathan stated.

A few minutes later, Haley was curled up on her couch starring at the title screen of 'The Notebook' and anxiously waiting for her boyfriend to join her.

"Nathan? Are you almost done in there?" She called.

A few seconds later, Nathan came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn, and two glasses of water.

"You're the best." Haley said cheekily.

"I know." Nathan smirked, and took a seat next to Haley.

Haley instantly curled up next to him, and put her head on his chest. Nathan wrapped his arm around her and kissed the crown of her head. "I can definitely get used to this." He murmured.

Haley lifted her head off of his chest and looked into his light blue eyes. "Get used to what?"

"Holding you like this. I never realized how much I missed this feeling, you know?"

Haley nodded and kissed Nathan's jaw. "I love you."

"I love you too." Nathan whispered.

"I can't wait to live with you!" Haley cheered excitedly.

Nathan laughed, "Me too."

"I'm so glad you got off that plane." Haley whispered as she felt the tears filling up in her eyes.

Nathan looked down and instantly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. "Hey, shh. Don't cry, okay? We're finally together, and we're happy. Let's not think about what could have happened, and focus on what is happening." Nathan advised.

"When did you become so insightful?" Haley joked.

Nathan shrugged, and hugged her tighter, "Right around the time I almost lost the one real thing I've ever loved."

Haley's heart fluttered at his words, and leaned up for a sweet kiss. "I can't believe I almost lost you forever." Haley sighed. "I hate myself for making you leave in the first place."

"Hey." Nathan 'ssh'ed her again. "What did I just say? It doesn't matter about the past. We found our way back to each other. That's all that matters- that we're together. Not many couples who went through what we did, get back together, but we did. You know what that means?"

Haley shook her head 'no'.

"It means we're soul mates. Someone once told me that 'people who are meant to be together, always find their way in the end." Nathan stated.

Haley felt another tear escape her eye, and she shifted on the couch so that she was straddling Nathan.

"I love you so much." Haley whispered against his lips, and kissed him feverishly.

Nathan instantly parted his lips and granted her entry, as he let his instincts take over, and he kissed her back with full force. When air became an issue, he pulled away and smiled. "I love you too Haley James."

"Good, now can we watch the movie?" Haley giggled.

Nathan playfully rolled his eyes, and grabbed the remote to press 'play'. "Anything for my girl." He smirked.

The movie played, and Haley watched with wide eyes as she watched intently. Nathan stopped paying attention to the movie a while ago, and just starred at the beautiful girl in front of him. He watched her eyes light up when Noah and Allie kissed in the rain. He also watched her eyes fill with tears, and stain his shirt. Nathan loved watching the emotions take over her face. He would stare at her forever if he could.

Haley finally felt his intense gaze on her, and she looked up. "What?" She questioned, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"Nothing. I'm just remembering." Nathan replied simply.

"Remembering what?" Haley whispered.

"How you put your hair up in a bun on our first date." Nathan smiled.

Haley stared at him in shock, "How the hell do you even remember that?"

"I remember everything about you Haley."

Haley let out a small laugh, "That sounded creepy."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "I'm trying to be romantic."

Haley smiled and kissed his cheek. "You are very romantic, and I love you for that."

"Consider yourself lucky because I wouldn't watch sappy love movies with anyone else." Nathan stated.

Haley giggled, "I am the luckiest girl in the world." She pressed her soft lips against his, and kissed him softly. "What else do you remember?" She asked.

"Well I remember our second date, I took you to that drive-in movie theater. Do you remember that?"

Haley laughed loudly. "Of course I remember. We got caught making out. How could I forget?"

* * *

_"What movie is even playing?" Seventeen year old Haley, asked as she looked over at Nathan who was in the middle of trying to find a parking spot._

_"Umm, I'm not sure." He replied._

_"It's not scary right?" Haley fidgeted._

_Nathan laughed, and looked at Haley who was nervously playing with her pinky ring. "I don't think so, but even if it is, don't worry. I'll protect you." He smirked._

_Haley bit her lip, and proceeded to look out the window. This was her second date with Nathan, and she was still a little nervous to be around him. She wasn't used to having an irregular heartbeat and butterflies flying in her stomach. _

_"You okay?" Nathan asked concerned._

_Haley nodded, "Yeah. Thanks." _

_Nathan smiled and finally parked the car in the middle of the parking lot, which had a fairly decent view of the giant movie screen . _

_"Okay, I'm going to get us some snacks. I'll be right back." Nathan promised._

_Haley gave him a shy smile, and nodded. A few minutes later, he came back holding a large bucket of buttery popcorn, sour gummy worms, m&m's, and starbursts, as well as two cans of sodas._

_"Is it just a coincidence or did you actually remember my favorite candies?" Haley asked with a large smile._

_"I remembered." Nathan smirked. "You told me a few days ago at the beach."_

_"Impressive." Haley praised._

_"I try." Nathan smirked, and got back into the car, and got more comfortable. "So the movie is 'I Am Number Four.' It's like an action movie." Nathan explained._

_Haley sighed a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn't a scary movie._

_ Nathan took a large handful of popcorn and stuffed his face with it, while Haley let out a loud laugh. _

_"What?" He asked while chuckling._

_"Nothing." Haley giggled._

_"No seriously, what?"_

_"You're just really cute." Haley said shyly._

_"Cute?" Nathan playfully scoffed, "I prefer the term, 'sexy beast.'" He joked._

_Haley playfully slapped his shoulder and giggled. "You're so cocky."_

_Nathan gave Haley a crooked smile, and slowly leaned over the console to meet her lips for a sweet kiss. After about five seconds, Haley pulled away and sighed happily._

_"You taste like popcorn." She laughed, and wiped her lips with her hand._

_"You want some?" Nathan laughed, and took a hand of popcorn and flicked it at her._

_"You didn't!" She scolded incredulously. _

_"I did." Nathan smirked._

_Haley playfully scoffed, and glared at him. "Oh you're on, Scott!"_

_"Bring it, James!" Nathan encouraged her, as she grabbed a bunch of popcorn and threw it down his shirt._

_"Oh you're good." Nathan laughed wildly and threw more popcorn at her._

_They left throwing popcorn at each other until they ran out, and the movie eventually started. Nathan secretly grabbed Haley's hand, and rubbed soothing circles on the back of her palm._

_"I really like you Haley." Nathan smiled genuinely._

_Haley ran her lip through her teeth, and smiled. "I like you too."_

_"I'm really happy you finally agreed to go out with me. I have a feeling this will be an amazing summer." Nathan whispered and leaned closer to her._

_Haley blushed lightly, "Me too." She said trying to hide her excitement. _

_"You're so beautiful." Nathan whispered as he stared intently in her eyes._

_Haley gulped the lump that was forming in her throat, and blushed profusely. She could feel her self drowning in his gorgeous blue eyes. _

_"Thank you." She said breathlessly._

_"Can I kiss you again?" Nathan asked._

_"You don't even have to ask." Haley said in a flirty tone, and slowly licked her lips anxiously waiting for Nathan's kiss._

_Nathan smirked, and leaned closer as he pressed his lips lightly against hers. Haley tried her hardest not to smile against his lips, but she couldn't help it, so Nathan ended up kissing her teeth._

_"Sorry." She said shyly._

_Nathan smiled back and kept kissing her. As the time passed, the kiss grew with intensity, and at one point, Haley ended up crawling over the console and in Nathan's lap. Their tongues dueled for dominance, and Haley let out a loud moan. She felt incredibly embarrassed, and she quickly pulled away and hid her face behind her hands._

_"Why'd you stop? It was just getting good." Nathan said light heartedly._

_"I just- never- I'm kind of new at this whole 'making out' thing…" She said shyly._

_"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Nathan said soothingly._

_"Yeah but you're advanced and I'm… not."_

_"I don't care." Nathan said honestly, "I like you, and that's all that matters."_

_Haley blushed again, and wrapped her arms around Nathan. "Well that's good. I like you… a lot."_

_Nathan smiled widely and pulled Haley closer to him, as they instantly started to make out again. They got lost in each other's kiss and didn't even realize the movie had ended over ten minutes ago._

_Haley suddenly jumped off of Nathan's lap, when she heard a loud knock on his car door window._

_Nathan's eyes widened and nervously rolled down his window. "Can I help you officer?"_

_"Yeah, the movie ended a while ago. We're closing, so you kids need to leave." He demanded._

_Nathan nodded, and Haley scrambled back over to the passenger seat, as she hid her face in her hands._

_"Oh my god! That was so embarrassing." She exclaimed._

_Nathan snickered, "I feel like every time we are together, someone always yells at us."_

_Haley sighed and slid down in the chair, "Oh this sucks!"_

_Nathan laughed and turned his head to look at Haley, "Well, I happened to have an amazing time tonight."_

_Haley bit her lip and smiled, "I did too, thank you."_

_"You're welcome." Nathan smiled in return, and pressed a lingering kiss on her cheek, as he drove them back to the cabins._

* * *

"That was fun." Haley remembered. "I was so nervous, because you were insanely cute, and that stupid smirk of yours- ugh, it gave me butterflies. It still does." She revealed.

Nathan smirked, and Haley playfully rolled her eyes. "You love me." He concluded.

"Unfortunately." Haley joked, causing Nathan to pout. "Kidding. I do love you." She smiled and ran a hand over his stubble cheek.

"Now shh." She said, "You have to see the end of this movie!" She advised, and curled back up into Nathan's embrace.

After about forty minutes, the movie finally ended, and Haley swore she saw Nathan wipe away a stray tear on his cheek.

"Are you crying?" She smirked.

"No!" Nathan said a little too quickly, "I, um.. had something in my eye." He lied.

"Don't lie to me Nathan Scott." Haley said as she pointed her index finger at him, and he playfully pretended to bite it.

"Damn, you're kind of sexy when you're mad." He smirked.

"Whatever. You cried." Haley gloated.

"Did not."

"Did to."

"Not."

"You did." Haley said folding her arms across her chest.

"Fine maybe a little- but you lied to me! You said it wasn't a chick flick!" Nathan rushed out.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Oops." She giggled, "I can't believe you cried! Big Bad Nathan Scott never cries!"

Nathan let out a long huff, and folded his hands over his chest. "It was sad."

"It's okay. I think it's cute when you get all sensitive. It's a side that no one see's but me, and I like it." Haley said sweetly.

"Well I like how everyone thinks you're all innocent but in bed-" Nathan started, but Haley then clamped her hand over his mouth to stop him from finishing the sentence.

"Perve!" Haley shouted.

Nathan laughed, and suddenly grabbed Haley by the hips, and threw her down on the sofa. He started tickling her all over, and she let out loud screams.

"Baby!" Haley giggled. "Stop!"

Nathan laughed loudly and continued tickling her. Haley screamed and laughed until she couldn't breathe, "Nathan-" She gasped. "I-I can't breathe! Sto-stop!"

Nathan finally stopped tickling her, and threw her over his shoulder, and carried her to her room. He slammed the door shut with his foot, and threw her on the bed. Haley gave him a sultry smile, and pulled him on top of her, as she met his lips with a heated kiss.

Things quickly progressed, clothes flew off, and Nathan and Haley showed each other how much they really did love one another.

"Tutor girl, open up!" Brooke screamed as she knocked rapidly on Haley's front door.

Haley groaned loudly, and pressed her face further into Nathan's chest.

"What's going on?" He mumbled.

"Brooke's here." Haley responded sleepily, still wrapped up in Nathan's arms.

"Ugh, it's like seven in the morning!" Nathan complained.

The knocks grew more persistent, and louder, until Haley screamed, "Coming!"

"Yeah you should be with me…" Nathan groaned.

Haley playfully slapped him on his naked back, and moved out of his grasp. "Don't go!" Nathan grumbled.

"Baby, I have to. I need to tell her we're together." Haley explained as she tied on a thin, silky robe around her body.

Nathan frowned when she left his arms, but turned over and closed his eyes. "Okay, I'm going back to sleep."

Haley smiled, and walked over to place a kiss on the back of his head. "Love you."

"Love you too." Nathan mumbled into the pillow.

Haley then retreated out of her bedroom and swung open her front door to reveal Brooke's peppy smile. She then flung herself into Haley's arms and hugged her.

"Hales! I missed you!" Brooke screamed.

Haley laughed and hugged her back. "Aw Brooke, I missed you too, Tigger. How was your honeymoon?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Oh hunny, we're not taking about that now. I'm here to find out what happened with you and Nathan, and don't lie to me because I see his car parked outside, and you clearly had sex- I'm going to guess 3 times- last night."

Haley blushed, "Four." She admitted shyly.

"OH MY GOD!" Brooke screamed happily, "YOU ANIMAL!"

Nathan suddenly emerged into the living room, wearing nothing but a pair of blue basketball shorts, and had bed head. Haley had to remind herself that she had a guest, otherwise she would have ran into his arms and took him right there.

Nathan rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and smirked, "What are you screaming about Davis?"

"You. Haley. Oh my god. What did I miss? Tell me everything!" She demanded.

Nathan smiled and walked up behind Haley and hugged her from behind. He then placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, and Brooke clapped.

"Naley is finally together! Thank god! Ugh! You guys are freaking adorable." She gushed.

Haley giggled, and leaned into Nathan's back. "Okay, well the night of the wedding, we slept together, but I woke up, and he wasn't there-"

"WHY?" Brooke shouted angrily.

"Relax Brooke, I'm getting to that part-" Haley explained, "Okay so, he left a note saying he was going to the airport, so I took a cab, and tried to find him, but when I got there the stewardess said the plane took off, so I fell on the floor crying, but then I heard Nathan call my name, and I ran over to him, and told him I loved him." Haley finished with a wide smile adjourning her features.

Brooke squealed with delight and ran over to the couple, and enveloped them in a large hug. "I'm so happy for you guys!" She cried.

Nathan smiled, ignored Brooke, and leaned down to kiss Haley.

"Okay you're cute and all, but you really don't need to do that in front of me." Brooke scolded lightly.

Haley giggled and blushed into Nathan's chest.

"Sorry Brooke, I love her."

Brooke squealed and hugged Haley again. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks Brooke." Haley smiled back at Brooke, and met Nathan's gleeful gaze.

"I still can't believe you guys did it four times! Damn!"

Haley blushed, "Brooke!" She scolded, while Nathan gave Brooke a thumb's up.

"This calls for a celebration!" Brooke cheered. "Tonight, Broody and I are treating you to dinner. Meet us at Karen's at like seven."

"Okay." Haley agreed, and watched at Brooke skipped out of her house and back into her car.

"I think she's happier than we are." Nathan joked.

"No once can be as happy as I am right now." Haley said as she hugged Nathan tightly.

"I'm happier." Nathan teased.

"Nuh uh. I'm the happiest and luckiest girl in the world." Haley smiled, and leaned on her tippy toes to kiss him deeply.

"Well then that makes me the happiest and luckiest bastard in this world." Nathan concluded, and kissed Haley back, pouring his feelings into the kiss.

"Nathan? What are you still doing in Tree Hill?" Lucas asked from his chair in Karen's café as he and Haley walked in hand in hand.

Nathan looked down at Haley and smiled, "I guess you can say I kind of met someone."

Lucas looked from Nathan to Haley, and stood up smiling. "Are you serious? You're together?" He asked happily.

Haley nodded eagerly, and Nathan leaned down to peck a kiss on her lips.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you guys! When did this-? How?"

"You don't really want to know…" Brooke spoke up, and Haley blushed.

"Well it's about time you get your head out of your asses, and admit your feelings!" Lucas joked as he pulled Nathan in for a manly hug, and then kissing Haley on the cheek.

"So are you in Tree Hill for good?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"I'll be here for the summer, but then I have to head back to Charlotte in September for training." Nathan explained.

"So where are you staying?" Lucas asked.

"I'll be living with Hales." Nathan and Haley both smiled.

"Good because no offense Nate, I don't think you'd want to stay with us." Brooke smirked.

"Yeah no-not with you honeymooners. Plus, I'll get to spend more time with my girl." Nathan winked at Haley.

"So then what are you going to do when you go back to Charlotte?" Lucas asked.

Haley bit her lip, "We haven't thought about that yet."

"Oh no, not again." Brooke sighed.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"This is just like when we were eighteen. You guys were all cute and adorable for the summer, but then you broke up because you went your separate ways."

Haley frowned, "I know, but we're going to make sure that doesn't happen this time, right Nathan?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah, I mean I'm sure it'll be tough, doing the long distant thing, but I'm willing to do what it takes to stay with Hales."

"Yeah, and I would even move to Charlotte if I have to." Haley added.

"Are you serious?" Nathan, Brooke, and Lucas all asked.

Haley bit her lip and nodded, "Yeah, because I'm not going to lose Nathan again. I love him."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and all your amazing reviews. Seriously, you guys are the best, and your reviews are so amazing, and I smile every time I read them. Once again, sorry this chapter wasn't my best, I was in a rush to post.**

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**HALEY GOES TO CHARLOTTE WITH NATHAN AND MEETS THE PARENTS (:**

**P.s I seriously cannot wait to write it… I have a lot in store for you. Stay tuned… **


	18. Meet The Scotts

**Sorry for the delay. Life has been sooo crazy. And it's only getting crazier. I won't be able to update as much but I'm going to try because I love this story (except I'm not really happy with this chapter but oh well..) enjoy!**

* * *

"What if they hate me?"

"They won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because, I love you, and it doesn't matter what they think."

To say Haley was freaking out, was an understatement. Today, she was on her way to Charlotte with Nathan to meet his parents. They slept in his apartment last night, and gathered the things he would need to bring back to Tree Hill, and today they were visiting his parents.

"I love you too." Haley smiled and took her hand in Nathan's as she starred out the passenger window.

"You have nothing to worry about babe. I promise you." Nathan reassured her as he turned the steering wheel left, and drove down his old street that he grew up on.

"Holy crap, Nathan! These houses are huge!" Haley exclaimed as her jaw dropped, as she took in the mansions lined up on the road.

Nathan chuckled, "Yeah, leave it to my parent's, they always had to have the best of everything."

"Nathan!" Haley shrieked. "You're making me more nervous!"

"Don't be nervous. Just be yourself. That's what made me fall for you." Nathan smiled.

Haley bit on her lip, as Nathan pulled his black range rover into the long circular drive way of the Scott household.

"You grew up here?" Haley asked.

"Yeah."

"Wow. It's beautiful." Haley gawked.

Nathan shrugged, "It wasn't really a home, it was just a house. You know what I mean?"

"No." Haley laughed, "Not really."

Nathan parked the car and turned to look at Haley. "My family isn't like yours. The only thing my dad cares about is himself, money, and basketball. There was hardly any time for fun, or love." He explained.

Haley ran her hand across his cheek, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I have you now." Nathan smiled. "You're fun, and lovable."

"Oh my god, you're so cheesy!" Haley giggled.

"I thought you said we're a cheesy couple." Nathan smirked.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, and Nathan hopped out of his seat, and ran over to the passenger side to open the car for Haley.

"You ready?" He asked as he looked longingly in her eyes.

Haley inhaled sharply, and took Nathan's hand in hers. "I guess so."

Together, they walked up to the front door, hand in hand. Nathan knocked lightly on the door, and turned to face Haley as he saw her fidgeting in the corner of his eye.

"Hey." He whispered, and brought his thumb under her chin and turned her face to face his. "Listen to me, everything will be fine, okay? They're going to love you. You're the first girl I've ever brought home, so it's not like they can compare you to anyone-"

"What?" Haley's eyes widened, "Oh my god, now I have to much pressure to be the perfect girlfriend-"

"You already are, you don't even have to try." Nathan smiled sweetly and knelt down as he captured Haley's lips in a passionate kiss.

Haley smiled against his lips, and eagerly kissed him back, until she heard a door open up.

"Nathan!" She heard someone say, and Haley practically jumped away from him.

Nathan turned around at the sound of his name and smiled. "Hi, Mom!"

Haley blushed a crimson red as she watched Nathan embrace a short blonde woman.

"Oh hunny, I missed you!" Deb cried, and hugged her son tightly. Nathan felt a slight twang of embarrassment as his mother hugged him in front of his girlfriend.

"I missed you too." Nathan said quietly, and then cleared his throat loudly as he pulled away from the hug and looked towards Haley.

"And who is this beautiful girl?" Deb asked, eyeing Haley.

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Haley James. Hales, this is my mom." Nathan said introducing the two women.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Scott." Haley said as she stuck her hand out for Deb to shake it.

"Oh please, call me Deb." Deb smiled as she politely shook Haley's hand. "I've heard so much about you!" Deb said to Haley. "She's even prettier in person, Nate." Deb smiled at her son.

Nathan gave Haley a shy smile, and he grabbed her hand and followed Deb inside the large house.

"Your house is beautiful, Mrs. Scott." Haley complimented.

Deb laughed lightly, "Oh thank you, but please, call me Deb."

"Right. Sorry." Haley smiled shyly and followed Deb into the kitchen.

"Nathan! What a surprise." Nathan's father, Dan Scott said as he got up from his spot at the kitchen counter, and pulled his son in for a brief hug. "And who is this?" Dan smirked as he eyed Haley from head to toe, making her a bit uncomfortable. She pulled her cranberry sun dress, down a little bit, feeling a bit self conscious.

Nathan smiled, and pulled Haley in for a sideways hug. "This is my girlfriend, Haley James."

"Girlfriend?" Dan asked as he quirked an eyebrow. "That's new."

Nathan smiled tightly, "Actually, she's Lucas's best friend. I've known her since I was eighteen."

"Wait, she's not the girl who you met on vacation, was it?" Dan asked slightly annoyed.

Haley bit her lip, and Nathan pulled her next to him tighter. "She is."

Dan glared at Haley, "Do you know what she did to your game when she left you? Coach K benched you for four games because you played like shit!" He lectured.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "It didn't matter dad, I was a freshman-"

"It does matter! You should have been playing, and making a name for yourself, but instead, you didn't listen me, you fall in love, she breaks your heart, and it ruined your basketball game-"

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Chill dad, it didn't effect me at all. I made it to the NBA, alright?"

"I don't care, she's just going to break your heart again, and it's going to screw you up even more. You can't afford this. It's your career-" Dam shouted.

"First of all, 'she' has a name, and it's Haley. And secondly, I don't really care what you think Dad, because I love her."

Dan snickered, "Love. Yeah right. She's only with you because of the money-"

Haley couldn't take it anymore, so she finally spoke up. "With all do respect, Mr. Scott, I love Nathan more than anything in the world. I'm not with him for the money, or publicity, or anything like that. I'm with him because I love him. He is an amazing guy, and I don't care that he's in the NBA, I would love him even if he was a garbage man. Nathan treats me with respect, and he has such a big heart, and I want to be with him because he makes me happy. I was stupid to let him go when I was 18, but I realized that I couldn't live with out him, and now I'm going to hold on to him."

Nathan was blown away by her speech, and he quickly swooped down to kiss her lightly. "I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you too." She smiled.

"Aw! How cute!" Dan muttered sarcastically, "Let me throw up, now."

"Dan Scott!" Deb scolded, "Leave them alone. I think they're adorable! Your son is finally happy, give him a break!"

Dan rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I'm just trying to warn the guy. He's in his prime condition right now, and he better not throw it all away for some girl-"

"Haley's not some girl!" Nathan argued.

Haley looked down at her feet, and bit hard on her lip. She wished that the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Dan spat. "It's only a matter of time that your precious Holly will break your heart, and you'll be a washed up NBA player who lost everything over a girl."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You're just mad because I found something other than basketball that makes me happy. Well too bad, Dan, because I love HALEY, and I'm not letting go of her."

"Yeah, and what's going to happen when you break up?" Dan retorted.

"What's going to happen if we don't break up?" Nathan fired back.

"Oh please, don't be silly." Dan chuckled evilly. "I'm sure you'll get sick of her, and move on to the next wanna-be actress or model."

Nathan rolled his eyes again, "Actually Haley's not like that. She's a teacher."

"Oh really?" Deb asked, trying to ease the tension in the air. "What grade do you teach?" She asked Haley.

"Tenth grade English." She said quietly.

"Oh that's great! You know, Nathan failed English once." Deb laughed.

"Mom..." Nathan whined.

Haley turned to Nathan and smiled, "Oh, I know all about that."

"You do?" Nathan asked.

Haley nodded, "Yeah, you told me when we were 17."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Nathan smiled.

"I'd hate to break up this little love fest, but I'm going to watch the Yankee game. Feel free to join me Nate, and maybe I can knock some sense into you. Trust me, you're better off single-"

"Dan!" Deb scolded, "Nathan has finally brought home a nice, sweet girl, and you're ruining it with comments like that!"

"You see, this is why I never brought any one home before. I'm finally happy, and Dad's acting like a prick! I love Haley, and I was really excited for you to meet her-"

"We are excited too, Nathan. You're Dad's just in shock-" Deb explained.

"You know what Nathan, I think I'm going to go..." Haley said quietly, and started to walk toward the front door, but Nathan chased after her and followed her outside.

"Baby, wait!" Nathan shouted, but Haley kept walking down the block.

"Hales!" Nathan tried again.

Haley felt the the tears rolling down her cheeks as she jogged up the sidewalk and away from Nathan.

Nathan sighed and sprinted up to Haley, who was at the end of the corner. He quickly grabbed her hand and spun her around.

"I think you're forgetting I'm in the NBA." Nathan smirked.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes though her tears and laughed softly.

"Why are you crying?" Nathan asked as he pulled her in for a tight hug.

Haley rested her head against Nathan's shoulder and cried against his light blue polo.

"Your parent's hate me." She sobbed.

Nathan rubbed slow, soothing circles against her back, and kissed the crown of her head.

"That's not true, my mom loves you."

Haley sighed, "Yeah but your dad hates me."

"He doesn't, he's just... he's like that with everyone." Nathan tried to explain.

Haley pulled away and looked at Nathan with teary eyes, "He doesn't want us together."

"Screw what he thinks. He's an ass."

"Nathan he's your dad-"

"I don't care. I love you, and that's all that matters. I really could care less what anyone else thinks."

"I love you." Haley said breathlessly and placed a hard, tantalizing kiss on Nathan's soft lips.

"I love you too." Nathan smiled as he reluctantly pulled away.

"I don't think I'm ready to go back just yet." Haley revealed.

"Neither am I." Nathan sighed. "C'mon, let's go for a walk." He said as he grabbed her hand, and they walked aimlessly around the community.

"This house is so pretty!" Haley gushed as she and Nathan strolled along the sidewalk.

"It is." Nathan agreed.

"Ohh I like this one too!" Haley smiled up at the quaint yellow house, with a wrap around porch, and a picket fence.

"It's too small." Nathan replied.

"I think it's cute."

"Maybe one day we can build our dream house together." Nathan said softly.

Haley stopped walking and looked up into Nathan's crystal blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to scare you..." Nathan rushed out. "I know it's too soon to be thinking about things like that but I just can't help it. I know we have a future together-"

Haley instantly cut Nathan off when her lips started to attack his. Nathan happily obliged and parted his lips so that her tongue could enter. The couple stood on the sidewalk in a heated make out session, and they didn't even feel the little droplets of rain start to fall from the sky. Suddenly, thunder roared through the sky, and Haley jumped out of Nathan's embrace.

"Oh my god! That scared me!" She screamed as she put her hand over her rapidly beating heart.

Nathan chuckled, and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, you goof, it's starting to rain. Let's get back!"

"I'm kind of starting to like the rain." Haley smiled seductively.

Nathan smirked, "Oh yeah?"

Haley flirtatiously licked her lips, "Mhmmm." She nodded.

The rain started to fall harder, and Nathan started to chase after Haley who was skipping away from him.

"Come back here, nerd!" Nathan joked.

Haley turned around and playfully glared at Nathan, "You did not just call me a nerd."

"So what if I did?" Nathan shot back flirtatiously.

"You are so dead!" Haley giggled, and jumped onto Nathan's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and swung her legs around his waist. It was now pouring, and they were completely saturated, but neither seemed to care.

After about five minutes, Nathan finally made it back home, and knocked loudly on the door.

Deb swiftly swung open the door and her jaw dropped.

"What the hell are you doing? There's a really bad storm!" She scolded lightly. "Get in here, I'll go get you towels."

Haley blushed. She felt like she was a teenager getting caught being out late with her boyfriend.

Nathan eyed Haley and smirked. Her dress clung to her tightly, and her hair was soaking wet. He came up from behind her and pulled her against his firm, wet body. "You're so sexy." He whispered in her ear, and she felt an involuntary shiver run down her back. He started kissing her neck, but she quickly pulled away.

"Not now babe. We're in your parents house!" Haley scolded.

Nathan chuckled and continued to kiss her neck as he but lightly at the spot underneath her ear.

Just then, Deb returned with two bath towels and cleared her throat slightly.

Haley jumped back and blushed profusely. This was the second time Nathan's mom caught them kissing. It wasn't that big of a deal considering they were almost 24, but she was still embarrassed.

"Here, you can use these to dry off and then I will put your clothes in the dryer for you." Deb explained.

"Hales, you can change into some of my old clothes if you want." Nathan said to Haley.

Deb looked out the window, where the wind was starting to pick up speed and thrash around the trees. The rain was pounding furiously against the windows and lightning lit up the sky.

"It's getting really bad out. You two better stay the night." Deb said in a concerned voice.

"Oh I don't want to impose..." Haley replied.

"Nonsense!" Deb exclaimed, "you can sleep in Nathan's old room, and Nate you can get the couch."

"Mom..." Nathan whined.

"Oh I can sleep on the couch it's no big deal." Haley intervened.

"Or we can sleep in my bed together." Nathan offered with a slight smirk.

"Not under my roof." Deb said sternly.

"Mom! I'm 23 years old. Haley and I sleep tog-"

"Nathan!" Haley scolded, "just listen to your mom."

"Fine." Nathan huffed.

Deb smiled at Haley, "wow, you're good. He never listens to me like that. I should take notes. You got him wrapped around your finger."

Haley blushed and Nathan let out a low groan.

"C'mon Hales, lets go up to my room. I'll give you some clothes to change in to." Nathan said and gently grabbed her small hand and dragged her up stairs to his childhood bedroom.

Haley looked around the navy blue room with basketball posters and smiled.

"This is nice." She said softly.

Nathan smiled and handed her his old grey duke t-shirt and black shorts.

"Babe this is going to be huge on me." Haley giggled, and Nathan smiled.

"Just roll the shorts, and trust me, you'll look beautiful. You always do." He said honestly.

Haley's heart melted at the words, and she pressed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, thank you for letting me borrow them. You're the best."

"You can keep them. I know how much you love wearing my clothes. I'm starting to get a little worried actually. Are you sure you're not like turning into a guy?" Nathan joked.

Haley rolled her eyes, "Ha, ha." She deadpanned, "I just love wearing your clothes, because it smells like you, and they're comfortable." Haley gushed. "But no, I'm definitely not turning into a guy."

"I think I should check to make sure." Nathan smirked.

"Nathan!" Haley chastised as she felt her cheeks burning.

Nathan smirked and rested his hands against her hips. "Here, let me help you get out of this dress."

"Babe, no." Haley tried to say firmly, but her voice cracked.

"Why not?" Nathan whispered as he slowly unzipped her wet dress.

"I- we- your parents-"

"I'm just helping you get changed. There's nothing wrong with that." Nathan said feigning innocence.

Haley relented, and let Nathan help her out of her dress. She stood in front of him in a simple red lacy bra, and matching underwear.

Nathan felt his mouth go dry at the sight. "You are so sexy-" Nathan began but Haley quickly turned around.

He quickly came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso and kissed her neck.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Nathan-" She tried to protest but it came out more of a moan.

"Do you love me?" He asked into her collarbone.

"You know I do, but seriously baby you need to stop."

"Why?" Nathan mumbled.

Haley tried to muster enough strength and turn away from Nathan but she couldn't. She loved the feel of his warm breath on her neck.

"Be-because, you're going to start something, that, w-we can't finish." Haley stuttered breathlessly.

Nathan reluctantly pulled away, and spun Haley around to give her a passionate kiss on her lips. He then rested his forehead against hers and smiled.

"Okay, but just so you know, we're finishing this later." Nathan smirked. "And just so you know... You're definitely not a guy."

Haley playfully rolled her eyes and slid on Nathan's old duke t-shirt. It was a little big on her so she tied the hem with a rubber band. She then put on Nathan's old pair of black shorts, and rolled the top a few times so they would fit her better.

"I was right. You do look good in my clothes." Nathan smiled.

Haley placed a sweet kiss on his lips but pulled away when she heard Deb calling them downstairs for dinner.

"Are you coming?" Haley asked from the doorway.

Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Uh give me a minute. I need to get changed and cool down a bit, if you know what I mean..."

Haley let out a loud laugh, "okay." She replied and quickly made her way down to the kitchen.

"Do you need any help setting the table?" Haley asked kindly.

"Oh no thank you Haley, everything is pretty much done. Where's Nate?"

Haley felt her cheeks warm, "he's just finishing getting changed."

"Okay well you can have a seat at the table. Do you like prime rib?"

Haley smiled. She knew it was Nathan's favorite. "Yes, thank you." She responded sweetly and then took a seat at the dining room table, anxiously waiting for Nathan to return.

"Oh you're still here?" Dan grunted as he walked into the dining room and sat at the head of the table.

Haley bit down on her lower lip and nodded.

"Don't get too comfortable. I'm sure Nathan will break up with you soon."

Dan smirked.

Haley took a deep breath, and looked at Dan in the eyes. "Mr. Scott I really love Nathan, and I promise you I won't hurt him. I just really want you to be okay with the fact I'm dating your son. Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

Dan took a swig of his beer and looked at Haley. "Yeah. Break up with him."

Haley's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Look, holly- my son is going to make it really big in the NBA, and he doesn't need some wanna-be slut attatched to him. So do us all a favor and break up with him."

Haley pursed her lips together and glared at Dan. "I'm sorry but I love Nathan and I'm going to support him and his career one hundred percent, and if you have a problem with that, then frankly I don't really care."

"You're fiesty, I'll give you that." Dan said smugly.

"Dan, what are you doing to this poor girl? Leave her alone!" Deb scolded as she carried a bowl of salad to the table.

Just then Nathan came down the stairs wearing a simple white t-shirt, and navy blue shorts, his hair was still a little damp, and Haley couldn't look away. He was completely gorgeous, even in the simplest of attires.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked, feelings the thick tension in the air.

"I was just wondering what you even see in Hades." Dan said with a cunning smile.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at his father, and walked over to where Haley was sitting and he wrapped his arms around her. "You know what Dad? I'm sick and tired of you picking my girlfriend apart. I love her, and she makes me happy. Why can't you accept that?"

"I'm just trying to save you the heartbreak son. Forgive me for caring about you." Dan replied with an 'innocent' voice.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Yeah well if you really cared about me, you would make an effort to get to know Haley, because I care about her more than anyone.

Haley simply starred at her p[late in front of her and tried her best not to say anything she would regret.

"Boys, stop it. Let's enjoy a nice dinner. Nathan, I just wanted to say I'm very happy for you, and I adore Haley. You two are very cute together, and I don't know how Nathan was able to snag such an amazing woman, but I'm happy he did." Deb said with a graceful smile. "Cheers!"

Everyone but Dan clinked their wine glasses together, and Nathan took a seat across from Haley.

"So how did you get back together?" Deb asked as she looked at a smiling Haley.

"Well I went down to Tree Hill for Lucas and Brooke's wedding, and Haley was the maid of honor, and I was the best man, and after many fights and convincing, Haley and I agreed to give us a second chance and it was the best decision I have ever made," Nathan said proudly, and Dan visibly rolled his eyes.

"I almost lost him again though." Haley frowned. "I had to go to airport and stop him."

"Yeah and when she got there, she thought I left but I actually got off the plane, and she ran into my arms." Nathan finished.

"It was so romantic." Haley gushed.

"Gag me." Dan mumbled under his breath.

Deb rolled her eyes at her husband. "Forgive my rude husband," She said kindly, "I happen to think that your story is very sweet. I haven't seen Nathan this happy in years!"

Haley smiled and reached across the table to take Nathan's hand in hers. "Your son means the world to me." She gushed.

"Haley's the best thing that has ever happened to me." Nathan smirked.

"What about when you got drafted to the NBA?" Dan asked.

"Getting Haley back tops everything." Nathan replied.

"I didn't know my son turned into a pansy." Dan muttered.

"Dan!" Deb scolded.

"Whatever Dad, I'm not listening to you anymore." Nathan bit back.

"Nathan, I am trying to give you advice! I'm telling you to dump her. That way when you get drafted to an even bigger team, you'll have thousands of women throwing themselves at you, and you won't have to worry about her."

Nathan sighed angrily. "First of all, I'm not going to be stupid and throw away my dream girl. Second of all, who says I'm getting drafted?"

"Your contract is up this year. The Lakers and the Knicks are fighting over you. Your number three in the entire nation. The Bobcats were a good start, but lets face it- you need to be on a bigger and better team." Dan said strongly.

"Last time I checked you weren't my agent." Nathan snarled.

"I'm serious Nathan. The Lakers want you. You'd be a fool if you pass that up." Dan said.

"Well I don't care because I'm staying in Charlotte." Nathan said stubbornly.

At Nathan's confession, Haley's head shot up and she starred into his eyes. "Are you serious?" Haley asked.

"Of course Baby. I promised you I'm staying with you, and being in Charlotte is the closest I'll get." Nathan smiled.

"Nathan." Haley said breathlessly. "You don't have to do that-"

"Listen to her Nate. You don't have to do it." Dan smirked.

"I'd follow you wherever you go Nathan." Haley confessed.

"Your job, and friends, and family are all in Tree Hill. I can't make you leave." Nathan frowned.

"I will for you Nathan." Haley confirmed.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Dan asked Haley.

"Dad!" Nathan scolded. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"What? I don't know."

"No Mr. Scott, I am certainly not pregnant. I just love your son so much that I'm willing to sacrifice a few things for him." Haley explained.

"I think that's sweet." Deb gushed. "You better hold on to her Nate. She's perfect."

"I know." Nathan smiled cheekily.

"Really? If she was perfect, she wouldn't have left you five years ago." Dan snorted.

"Enough Dad!" Nathan shouted. "Haley and I were just kids back then. It's different now, and I want to be with her. What we have is real, and I don't give a shit what anyone says!"

Haley took a deep breath, and took a long sip of water. "Excuse me, I'm going to use the bathroom." She quickly got up and made a run for the bathroom. She had enough of Dan's cruel words.

"Dad!" Nathan whined. "Look what you did! Now she's upset!"

"Good." Dan said smugly. "I don't like her. She seems like a bitch. You can do better."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "No actually I can't, because she's the best. Even if I could get someone else, I wouldn't want to. I love her, and I'd do anything for her. I really don't care what you think, because one day I'm going to marry her."

Dan just snickered.

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Nathan asked angrily.

"You actually think you're going to get married?"

"Yeah I am, and we're also going to have kids."

Dan laughed even harder, and began choking on his meal.

"I'm really glad you think this is funny." Nathan said sarcastically. "I really thought you would love 's amazing. She's beautiful, intelligent, funny, and just the perfect girl to bring home-"

"Honey, I love her! I'm so happy you brought her and not some skank-" Deb interjected.

Dan rolled his eyes, "She is a skank. I bet she's only with Nathan for his money and in a few months she'll probably cheat on him with a musician or something."

"Haley isn't a skank! She's classy and sophisticated, and beautiful. I don't know how you can't see it." Nathan defended her.

"Oh please! She has the body of a slutt. Did you see her ass-?" Dan muttered.

Nathan couldn't take it any longer so he lunged across the table and punched his father straight in the eye.

"Don't talk about my girlfriend like that!" Nathan shouted.

Haley was walking back in the kitchen to witness the uproar, and she ran upstairs into Nathan's room and broke down into a fit of sobs on his bed. She didn't know why Dan didn't like her but she was really upset because she wanted him to like her.

Nathan heard Haley run up the stairs, so he turned around and quickly followed her. He then stopped on the stairs and looked at his father who was covering his eye. Deb ran to the kitchen to get ice, and Dan just sat there in shock.

"I happen to love Haley's ass." Nathan shouted at Dan, and ran up to his room.

"Babe are you in here?" Nathan asked as he knocked on the door.

"Go away." Haley mumbled into the pillow and continued to cry.

Nathan ignored her protest and walked straight into the room, and sat on the bed as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Your dad hates me." Haley cried.

Nathan let out a tired sigh and curled up next to Haley on the bed, and he held her in his arms. "He's an ass."

"I don't want him to hate me though." She cried louder.

Nathan placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and hugged her tighter. "It'll take some time, but he'll warm up to you."

"What if he doesn't?" Haley sniffled.

"Well then that's too bad because you're not going anywhere, so he's going to have to get used to the idea of you being around." Nathan said softly.

"Really?" Haley asked as she looked into his warm blue eyes.

Nathan smiled, "Yes, really. Tomorrow, I'm going to make him apologize, okay?"

"Okay." Haley smiled and kissed Nathan softly. "I love you." She whimpered against his chest.

"I love you too."

* * *

**I hate the way I ended this chapter but I'm in a rush to post. I literally have no time for anything anymore. I have two jobs, plus I'm on a tennis league, and school is starting soon so that means I won't be able to update as much but this story is almost over. I'd say there will be another 5 or 6 but who knows? I have no idea where I'm going with this story, it's completely random but I do know the epilogue and I must say, it's going to be freaking perfect :)**


	19. Begin Again

**Good news! I updated! Bad news... I'm crazy busy, so updates won't be as frequent as I'd like them to be but at least I'm updating. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think, because I made time out of my busy schedule to write this and I don't even know if anyone is still reading lol.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Nathan's eyes fluttered opened when the morning sun came creeping through his old bedroom window. He knew he should have slept on the couch last night, but he didn't want to leave Haley. He looked down at the sleeping figure in his arms, and smiled. Haley looked beautiful even in her sleep. Her lips were slightly curved upward into a small smile, and every once in a while her button nose would twitch. Nathan laid still, watching her sleep for what felt forever, until he couldn't take it anymore and finally leaned down to slowly kiss her lips.

It took a few seconds for Haley to realize what was happening, but after the initial shock wore off, she willingly kissed Nathan back, and smiled.

"Good morning beautiful." Nathan greeted, as he deepened the kiss.

Haley squealed happily, but quickly pulled away, much to Nathan's protest.

"Nathan! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on the couch!-" Haley rushed out in a worried voice.

Nathan smirked, and pulled Haley on top of him, and held her tightly.

"Relax. It's fine. I slept in my old bed with my girlfriend. It's not a big deal."

"Your mom-" Haley started.

Nathan ran his hand across her cheek and smiled, "Don't worry she doesn't know."

"What if she-"

Nathan rolled his eyes and kissed Haley. "I'm an adult. I can do what I want."

"But-" Haley protested.

Nathan slid his hands down to Haley's backside, and smirked. "Stop worrying so much."

Haley bit her lip. She was in her boyfriend's parents house, and they very well could get caught kissing, but who cares, they're 23, what's the big deal? Right? Haley ignored the little voice in the back of her head and granted Nathan access to her mouth.

The kiss progressed quickly, and Haley started to run her hands underneath Nathan's t-shirt when all of a sudden, they heard the door open, and a gasp was heard.

Haley instantly rolled off of Nathan and her eyes widened as Deb was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Mom!' Nathan shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing. I thought I asked you to sleep on the couch last night." She said sternly.

Dan suddenly came up behind Deb and snickered. "I bet Haley seduced him into bed. Hopefully he didn't get her pregnant."

Haley blushed and sank back into the mattress as she pulled the covers up to hide her face, and Nathan jumped out of bed and glared at his father.

"Actually, if you must know, I came in here last night because Haley was crying because of the way you treated her. I had to calm her down, and we both fell asleep."

"She's probably trying to trap you into getting her pregnant." Dan grunted.

Nathan sighed, "Haley isn't like that, and even if we were to get pregnant, I honestly wouldn't mind it. I love Haley more than anything, and I know she's the one for me. I see a future with her, and whether you like it or not, one day we are going to get married and have lots of babies, and if you don't like it then you can go scratch!" Nathan ranted, and Haley smiled through her tears. That speech just melted her heart.

Dan sighed, and ran a hand over his face. "Wow." He muttered. "I don't know what to say."

Deb wiped the tears in her eyes, and ran over to hug Nathan. "Aw my baby boy!"

"Mom!" Nathan groaned. "Stop, you're embarrassing me..."

"Haley is perfect, don't let go of her." She whispered in her sons ear.

Nathan smiled, "I know."

"I'm truly happy for you Nate. I've never seen you this happy, so thank you Haley. I never thought Nathan would ever be this serious about a girl, but now he is, and you're the type of girl that every mom dreams of their sons bringing home." Deb announced happily, and embraced Haley in a small hug.

Haley pulled away and lightly cleared her throat, "I know I broke your sons heart a few years ago, but I learned my lesson, and these past five years without him have been hell. I realized I need Nathan in my life, and I truly love him with everything. I'll do anything to prove to you that my intentions are true, and I really do love him." Haley pleaded.

Deb smiled at Haley and turned to her husband. "You don't have to prove anything Haley. It's clear that you and Nathan are happy together, so I'm happy for you. Like I said, I never thought I'd see the day he brought a girl home, and I'm glad it's you and not some bimbo." She joked lightly.

Everyone, including Dan, let out a laugh.

"I have to say, Nathan, -and please don't take this the wrong way- Haley is a beautiful young woman, who seems to really have her head on her shoulders. I'm sorry for giving you two grief, I'm just really worried this will affect Nathan's game play." Dan clarified.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you Dad!" Nathan shouted. "I'm not even playing right now. I'm spending time with my girlfriend."

"I know, and that's great, I know how happy you are, and I accept it- I just don't want either of you to get hurt, especially during NBA season." Dan explained.

Nathan sighed and grabbed Haley's hand, "You just don't understand- I was tired of saying 'what if?' you know- like- what if Haley is the one for me, and I let her go? I was tired of thinking that, and yeah- I know in the back of my mind that we could break up, but I won't let these fears hold me back, because in my heart, I know she's the one."

"Mr. Scott, I would never do anything to jeopardize Nathan's career- I'd drop everything and follow him if I had to. I really want a chance to prove to you that I really do love him-"

Dan smiled genuinely, "You don't need to prove anything. It's obvious you're both in love. I know I acted like a complete ass yesterday, and I'm sorry. I guess in a way, it was me testing you to see how you would react, and you pass."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "I don't buy it, Dan."

"You don't have to, but I'm being honest. Haley's great for you Nate. Don't screw it up." Dan playfully warned.

Nathan's grasp on Haley tightened, and he leaned down to kiss her lips lightly. "Hopefully she doesn't realize how far I'm out of her league." She joked.

Haley giggled, and ran her hand along his cheek. "Never."

Deb wrapped her arm around her husband and smiled. "Okay well now that this is all settled, your grandparents have been dying to meet Haley, and I said we'd meet them for breakfast while your still in town, so get ready!" Deb advised, and left the room, along with Dan.

Nathan looked down at Haley and smiled, "See? They love you. I told you, baby."

Haley smiled shyly and bit down on her lip, "Yeah, but now I have to meet your grandparents-"

"Oh don't worry about them. They've been waiting forever for me to bring a girl to meet them. They know you're special."

Haley smiled, and leaned on the lips of her toes and pressed a long kiss on Nathan's soft lips. "I love you Nathan Scott."

"I love you too, Hales."

* * *

"Nathan Royal Scott, you get your ass over here and kiss your grandmother hello!" Mae Scott shouted from her spot in the Diner.

Nathan walked over to the table, hand-in-hand with Haley, and greeted his grandma with a big hug.

"Hi Grandma." Nathan greeted with a big smile.

"Screw the hello, why don't you introduce me to this beautiful young lady?" Mae smiled and looked over at Haley.

Haley blushed lightly, and her hand tightened around Nathan's.

"This is my girlfriend, Haley James. Babe, this is my dad's mom, Mae." Nathan introduced the women.

Mae gasped, and rushed over to Haley and enveloped her in a huge hug. "Oh Haley! I've heard so much about you! The other day, Nathan called me and he talked about you for hours!"

"Grandma!" Nathan scolded in an embarrassed tone.

Haley and Mae both laughed, and Haley felt her cheeks redden. She hated being the center of attention.

"She's even prettier in person!" Mae exclaimed. "Nathan was right. You have a gorgeous smile, and wow! I wish I had your body! My grandson really hit the nail on the head with this one." She winked. "Oh Royal, meet Nathan's girlfriend."

"Is this a dream? Did I just hear the words 'Nathan' and 'girlfriend' in the same sentence?" Royal Scott joked.

Mae and Haley both laughed, as Nathan had a glum look on his face.

"Oh cheer up son! I'm just joking." Royal patted Nathan on the back. "But seriously, what is she on? How the hell did you score someone like this?" Royal asked.

Nathan rolled his eyes, and pulled Haley into his side.

"Nathan's amazing. I love him." Haley gushed with a wide smile.

"Alright, really- what's wrong with you?" Royal joked.

"Grandpa!" Nathan chastised.

Haley giggled and rubbed her hand on Nathan's chest. "He's the perfect gentleman, and everything I could ever want in a guy. It also helps that he's hot." She joked with a slight blush.

Mae laughed, "She's funny, and beautiful! Great job Nate."

"She's also the smartest person I know, and she has such a good heart. She seems innocent and all, but she also has a wild side, and I love that about her. She's definitely feisty, and she's a goddess in b-"

"Nathan!" Haley shrieked.

"What?" Nathan asked feigning innocence. "You don't know what I was going to say."

"Yes I do, and that is not appropriate!"

"Well maybe I was going to say 'basketball.'" Nathan joked.

Haley rolled her eyes and playfully punched his bicep. "Yeah right, we all know I suck at basketball, and your head is permanently in the gutter."

"Are you implying I'm a perv?" Nathan asked with a cocky smirk.

"Yes, I am." Haley said smugly.

"Well can you blame me? My girlfriend is kind of sexy." He whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Kind of?" She countered.

"A lot." Nathan smirked, and leaned down to capture Haley's lips in a heated kiss- totally forgetting his 80 year old grandparents were right there, watching.

"How precious!" Mae gushed.

"Get a room kids!' Royal chuckled, and much to Nathan's protest- Haley immediately pulled away, and her cheeks turned a crimson red.

Nathan then led Haley over to the table, and the two couples sat down.

"Where's my son?" Royal asked gruffly.

Nathan cleared his throat, "Oh, he and my mom are still trying to find a parking spot. They'll be here soon." He explained.

"So Haley, tell me about yourself. All Nathan told me was how kind and beautiful you were, and he was right. I swear, he couldn't stop talking about you and how much we would love you."

Haley smiled, and looked over at Nathan. "Well I mean, there's not much to say. I'm a teacher in Tree Hill-"

"She's the best teacher that the town has to offer. Everyone loves her, and she's so intelligent. I learn something new everyday from her. I love that she's like a nerd, but she's so cute." Nathan gushed.

Haley blushed and ran her hand up and down Nathan's bicep. "Did you just call me a nerd?"

"Yeah, but I said you were a cute nerd." Nathan smiled cheekily.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, and hugged him sideways. "Oh well that makes everything so much better." She said sarcastically.

Nathan chuckled, and looked over at his grandparents who were also smiling, "Isn't she perfect? I never thought I could ever love someone this much."

"Oh my goodness Haley, you turned him into a pansy!" Royal joked.

"Oh shut up Royal. They're in love, leave them alone." Mae defended the couple.

"It's okay. I know Haley's got me wrapped around her finger, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Nathan declared happily, and leaned down for a short yet sweet kiss with his girlfriend.

Just then, Deb and Dan came into the diner and rushed over to where Nathan and everyone were sitting. "Sorry we're late." Deb excused themselves.

"So what's new?" Dan asked his parents.

"Oh we're just getting to know Nate's girl here. She's really great!" Royal declared.

"She is!" Deb gushed.

"I still can't believe Nathan snagged her." Dan chuckled. "I thought I'd never see the day."

"Me neither!" Mae laughed, "I've been bugging him about it for years."

Haley blushed, and Nathan noticed her discomfort, and gently stroked her hand. Instantly, she felt herself calm down.

"I'm a lucky guy." Nathan said smugly.

"So how did you guys meet?" Royal asked.

Both Haley and Nathan looked at each other and laughed lightly. "It's actually a funny story..." Nathan began.

"We met when we were eighteen on summer vacation-" Haley started.

"And I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her." Nathan gushed.

"You did not!" Haley accused while laughing.

"I did too. You were so hot! You had on a white tank top, and these little jean shorts-"

"You probably thought I was a slut." Haley said glumly.

"I didn't. Luke told me you weren't. You gave off some vibe, and you were like a magnet and I was being pulled towards you."

"That's so cheesy!" Haley laughed, and playfully slapped his chest.

"Do you see this?" Nathan laughed, "She's abusive." Nathan joked to his grandparents.

"I am not!" Haley snorted.

"I know babe, I'm joking. Anyway, so I fell in love with her when I was eighteen, and we dated the entire summer before college. I guess I should have told or sooner, or at least waited, because I told her I loved her the day I was leaving for Duke, and she got upset and told me to leave, so we broke up, and I was devastated."

Haley's jaw dropped, "Babe, now your grandparents are going to hate me!"

Mae and Royal laughed, "I think it's impossible to hate you Haley. You're the woman who is responsible for his happiness, and that's all that matters." Mae smiled.

"Yeah you were eighteen at the time. It's perfectly fine." Royal stated.

"In fact...Royal and I met the summer before college, and fell in love." Mae gushed.

"I never heard this story." Nathan said.

"Oh here we go!" Royal dragged out.

"Oh hush up Royal, I'm telling the story." Mae shot back, humorously.

"Fine." Royal huffed, causing everyone to laugh.

"Okay well we met in the summer, and it was the typical love story. I was the rich girl, and your grandfather was the poor boy from the 'ghetto', who played basketball. One day he was playing in the park, and I was hanging out with my friends near the basketball courts. So all of a sudden, I see a ball rolling over to my feet, and Royal was running over to me to get it. Your grandfather claims it was an accident, but I know he did it on purpose just to talk to me." Mae winked.

Haley listened carefully and smiled. "That's so cute!" She smiled.

"Oh there's more!" Mae laughed, "So anyway, we dated for quite a while, and when September came, I enrolled in the local university, and your grandfather was supposed to play professional basketball but he got drafted to the army instead."

"Oh my gosh!" Haley gasped.

"So the night before he went over seas, he told me he loved me."

"Mae-" Royal groaned.

"Shh! Let me finish!" Mae scolded. "So, - like you, Haley- I freaked out because I didn't know what was going to happen, so I broke up with him-"

"I never knew this!" Dan stated.

"Neither did I." Nathan spoke up.

"Well long story short- I was miserable without Royal, and I tried to date other guys, and I thought it would be best if we went our separate ways, but when he came home from the war, I wanted to win him back, and although he was skeptical at first, and after a lot of convincing, he finally took me back, and we got married five months later." Mae gushed.

"Wow." Dan mumbled.

"We're still in love almost sixty years later." Mae finished with a wide smile.

Haley smiled back and looked over at Nathan. "That's so sweet!" She gushed.

"I know it was a miserable time with out Royal, but in the end- everything was worth it."

"I agree." Royal smiled shyly. "I was so heartbroken when she left me, but it ended up working out anyway, and I couldn't be happier."

"Who's the pansy now, Gramps?" Nathan joked.

"Nathan!" Deb and Haley scolded simultaneously.

"Sorry." He sighed.

"How come you never told us this before?" Dan asked.

Mae shrugged, "I never thought it was important. But now that I know Haley and Nathan's history, I wanted to let them know that they have a positive future ahead of them."

Nathan and Haley looked over at each other and smiled, as Nathan placed a light kiss on Haley's hand.

"Were your parents mad that you dated grandpa?" Nathan asked.

"Oh yes! We had to hide our relationship for the longest time. They freaked out when they found out, and even forbid me from seeing him, but it never worked. I just loved him too much, and they never understood." Mae explained.

Nathan looked up and Dan and smiled coyly. "See Dad?"

"See what?" Mae intervened.

"My dad was mad when he found out Haley and I were together." Nathan explained.

"What!?" Mae gasped. "What the hell is wrong with you Danny? How could you be mad? Haley is absolutely perfect! How can you be upset?"

Dan sunk lower in his seat and gulped, "Nathan was a mess when Haley broke up with him, and it really affected his game. I didn't want that to happen again."

Mae rolled her eyes, "You know, I thought I taught you better than that Daniel."

"I know Ma, I'm sorry."

"Was he mean to you?" Mae asked Haley.

Haley's eyes widened and she bit her lip, "Uh.. um.."

"It's okay Haley, you can tell me." Mae encouraged her.

Haley looked over at Nathan for help, and he luckily stepped in. "He made her cry." Nathan said as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Daniel Royal Scott! How could you make this sweet, innocent girl cry? What did you do?" Mae scolded.

"He was an ass, and accused her of false accusations, and called her names." Nathan declared.

"I said I was sorry. I really am. I just wants what's best for Nathan-"

"Haley is the best." Nathan spoke up.

"I know that now-" Dan replied quietly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Mae declared.

"Sorry for what?" Haley asked.

"For my sons rude behavior. Nathan better not treat you like that, or I'll kick his ass!" Mae said in a half joking voice.

Haley giggled and lightly squeezed Nathan's arm. "No, he's the best boyfriend any one could ever want. I'm so lucky to call him mine. He's so sweet and caring. No one really knows that side of him, but I love it. He's very respectful, he has the biggest heart and he's incredibly handsome." She gushed.

"Well he is a Scott." Royal smirked.

"You better give us a Scott great-granddaughter. There needs to be more female Scott's, and it would be an honor for you to be a part of it, as well as your babies-"

"Grandma! We just got together, slow down!" Nathan laughed, and Haley just sat there biting her lip, and blushing profusely.

"I'm serious Nathan. You better marry this girl and your kids would be beautiful-" Mae gushed.

"I know Grandma, but please- let me propose before you start planning the wedding." Nathan chuckled.

"Oh! You better do something cute for a proposal!" Mae advised.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and looked over at Haley who was as red as a tomato.

"Grandma..." Nathan whined.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Mae smiled.

"So how's basketball?" Royal asked. "Are you going to take those Bobcats to the finals this year?"

"You know it." Nathan smiled cockily.

"He definitely will." Haley gushed.

"Babe, you never even saw me play-" Nathan laughed.

"Yes I did!" Haley said in a high pitched tone. "I watched your games on television."

"You did?" Nathan asked, smiling.

"Yep. I cheered for you all the time. I even bought a Bobcat t-shirt, and one time I threw a glass at the TV when you missed the game winning shot." She said shyly.

"I don't know if I should be honored or scarred." Nathan laughed.

"Both." Haley grinned.

"The Lakers are actually looking at Nathan." Dan said proudly.

"They are?" Royal asked.

"Yeah, I'm hoping they'll make a deal next week."

Nathan cleared his throat, "Nothing is finalized. The Bobcats may want me back-"

"Yeah but obviously if the Lakers recruit you, you'll go with them." Dan said knowingly.

"We'll see." Nathan said quietly. Luckily, the waitress came to take everyone's order, and the conversation shifted away from basketball.

The rest of the morning, the Scott families and Haley happily ate their breakfast, and talked about Nathan's childhood, as well as other light topics, such as getting to know Haley. Fortunately, Dan stopped harassing Haley, and treated her with respect the rest of the day. Finally, Nathan decided it was time to drive back to Tree Hill, and he and Haley stopped by his old apartment to pick up a few things. They both said goodbye to Nathan's family, and promised to keep in touch, and see each other soon.

* * *

"Home sweet home!" Haley cried and dropped back on her mattress.

Nathan watched from the doorway and chuckled. "Don't go to sleep just yet. We still have a lot of things to unpack."

Haley let out a light groan, and stuffed her face in a pillow. "But baby I'm so tired!"

It was almost 8:30 at night, and Haley and Nathan had just got home from Charlotte after a five hour drive home. Normally the drive was two and a half hours, but today happened to be the day where everyone in the state of North Carolina decided to go for a drive, so there was a crazy amount of traffic.

"Look on the bright side.." Nathan started, "I'm going to be living with you for the next three months."

Haley suddenly shot up from the bed and smiled widely. She let out a happy squeal and ran over to Nathan. "I'm so excited! I get you all to myself." She wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face up against his chest, as she heard his strong heartbeat.

"Won't you get sick of me?" Nathan joked.

"Never." Haley squeezed him tighter.

"Good." Nathan laughed, and pressed a long kiss on her forehead.

"Is my apartment big enough for you?" Haley asked, "I know you're used to the lavish lifestyle-"

Nathan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, "As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters. Seriously, we could live in a paper box and I wouldn't care, as long as you're there-"

Haley squealed and jumped up to kiss him passionately, "I am so freakin' in love with you!" She whispered against his lips.

"I love you too." Nathan smiled and kissed her back. Haley deepened the kiss, and let her tongue explore the depths of Nathan's mouth.

After a few minutes, Nathan reluctantly pulled away, and starred at all the boxes. "As much as I love making out with you, don't you think we should start unpacking?"

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, and smiled seductively as she ran her hand under Nathan's shirt.

"Well would you rather take things out of boxes, or take things off of me?" She winked.

Nathan's mouth suddenly went dry and felt all of his blood rush south.

"Haley James, you're going to be the death of me." He stated, and swiftly picked up Haley and threw her on the bed; they spent the entire night making love.

* * *

Haley's eyes slowly opened, and she woke up with a giant smile on her face. Her body was aching from last night's activities with Nathan, such as christening every room in her apartment, but it was totally worth it.

She rolled over sleepily, and expected to find Nathan in bed, but she was met with cold sheets.

_Uh oh_. She thought, but sighed a sigh of relief when she saw his clothes next to the bed. He obviously couldn't have left the apartment.

She quickly got out of bed and grabbed a fresh pair of lace underwear, and pulled on one of Nathan's old shirts, then walked out into the kitchen.

Haley instantly smelled the fresh scent of strawberries, and the smell of sweet pancake batter filled the air.

"Nathan?" Haley asked as she looked at the tall figure, slumped over the stove, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Oh hey babe, you're up." He smiled over his shoulder.

Haley smiled and walked over to him as she wrapped her arms around his muscular waist, and met his lips for a passionate good morning kiss.

"Good morning." She smiled.

"Morning."

"What are you doing?" She asked as she peeked over his shoulder.

"Making my girl breakfast." He replied cheerfully.

"Oh yummy. I love pancakes." Haley cheered.

"Who says they're for you?" Nathan joked.

"Haha." Haley deadpanned. "Seriously though, I didn't know you cooked-"

Nathan chuckled, "I guess I learned a few things in college, that were actually useful."

Haley giggled and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Well this is nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nathan replied.

"I can definitely get used to this whole living together thing." Haley giggled.

"Me too." Nathan smirked as he watched Haley bend over the table to set it.

* * *

"Baby, what the hell is this?" Haley laughed wildly as she took the contents out of one of the several boxes surrounding her living room.

Nathan's head shot up from one of the boxes, and blushed, "It's um.. uh..."

Haley laughed more and stood up to walk over to the trash.

"NO!" Nathan shouted. "You can't throw it out!"

Haley grinned, "Why not? It's just a rag, right?"

Nathan huffed and ran a hand over his face, "Look, I've had it since I was a baby. You can't throw it out."

"What is it?" Haley asked even though she knew exactly what it was.

Nathan sighed and walked over to Haley, "It's my baby blanket okay..."

"Oh my god!" Haley screamed, and continued to laugh. "Nathan Scott has a baby blanket!"

"Hales, come one, stop! I don't make fun of Mr. Waffles.."

"Yeah because I'm a girl. Every GIRL has stuffed animals." She countered with a coy smile.

Nathan groaned, and threw his head back. "Just- ugh!"

Haley giggled, and ran her hand along his cheek, "Aw my little baby." She said in a baby voice.

"Okay, laugh it up." Nathan said in an agitated tone.

Haley smiled widely, and kissed Nathan sweetly, "It's cute."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "C'mon, it's embarrassing."

"Good, now I have something to blackmail you with." She smirked.

"You wouldn't." Nathan playfully glared at her.

"Oh. I would." Haley smiled and playfully stuck her tongue out at him as he chased her around the living room, and eventually tackled her on the couch and tickled her.

"Nathan!" Haley squealed, "Stop it!"

"Why? It's fun tickling you." Nathan smirked.

Haley squirmed and giggled loudly. "Babe, I - can't bre-breathe!" She shouted.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop." Nathan relented. 'Just promise me, you won't tell anyone about... you know.."

Haley smiled and leaned up to kiss Nathan.

"I promise." She whispered against his lips.

"Good, and the only reason why I was saving it was to I could give it to my son or daughter one day."

Haley's heart melted at his words. "Aw, you're the sweetest." She whispered and kissed him passionately again. "Now c'mon. Let's see what else we can find in these boxes." She winked.

* * *

"What's in here?" Haley asked as she came in contact with an old shoe box.

Nathan stretched his neck to try and see what Haley was holding, "I'm not sure. Open it." He advised.

Haley did what she was told, and her eye's instantly widened. "Nathan-" She said breathlessly.

Nathan instantly walked over to Haley and sat next to her. He smiled softly when he noticed what was in the box.

Haley felt the tears prickling behind her eyes, and sniffled softly.

"Why are you crying?" Nathan asked in a concerned voice.

"I can't believe you kept these."

"Of course." Nathan smiled, and ran his thumb under her eye to wipe the tears away. "I was upset Haley, but I never stopped loving you." He said softly.

At his words, the tears started to roll down Haley's cheeks faster. "I love you Nathan." She whispered and continued to look through the box of photo's from the summer that they spent together.

"This is my favorite one." Nathan pointed out, and Haley smiled.

It was a picture of Haley holding an ice cream cone, and Nathan was leaning down to lick it. Neither of them knew the picture was being taken, and Haley had her head thrown back, with a wide smile spread across her face.

"I like this one." Haley smiled and pointed to the picture of her kissing Nathan's cheek, with a beautiful sunset in the background.

"Yeah, that was a fun day." Nathan remembered. The two of them spent the entire day at the beach, and all night on the boardwalk.

"We should go back there one day." Haley suggested.

"Okay." Nathan agreed.

"Nathan?" Haley asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Mhmm?" He answered.

"Why did you keep these?"

"Sometimes when I really missed you, I would look back on them and they made me smile."

Haley smiled, and felt herself tearing up again. "God, you're amazing."

Nathan smiled genuinely and kissed her softly. "I'm really happy we're together."

"Me too."

"I hope the summer doesn't go too fast." Nathan breathed.

"Why?" Haley asked as she ran her fingers up and down his chest.

"Because things will get crazy again. I'll be in the NBA and you'll be teaching."

Haley sighed deeply and looked into Nathans clear blue eyes, "I know it'll be tough, but we'll get through it."

"You're right. Let's just not think about it." Nathan said.

"Are the Lakers really recruiting you?" Haley asked nervously.

"Honestly, I don't know. What I do know is, that we're in this together." Nathan smiled.

"Always and forever." Haley agreed and pressed a sweet kiss on his lips.

* * *

**I have no idea if people are still interested in this but whoever is, thanks for waiting and all your sweet comments. You're all amazing! **

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter/story or what you think will happen or want to happen. I'm open for all ideas. **

**Next chapter, the drama will start again.. so be ready!**

**Also, quick question: Do you want more flashbacks from the Naley's summer when they were 18 or no? Just let me know. Thx! **

**xoxo**

**I'll try to update ASAP, but like I said, this is the busiest I've ever been! **


	20. Secrets

**Bad news! School starts in a week, and I have very little time to write... unfortunately my grandfather passed away this morning, so this week is going to be crazy. Then once school starts, my life will be even crazier. Plus, I have tennis everyday for two hours, which takes up even more time. I really really want to finish this story because I have an amazing idea for an ending, and I will finish it, just not as fast as I wanted to. With that said, chapters will probably be shorter and update time longer, sorry! But I will finish! So thanks for sticking it out with me, and all your support. xoxo**

* * *

"What movie should we watch?" Nathan asked as Haley came into the living room wearing one of Nathan's old basketball jerseys.

"Hmm, I don't care, as long as it's not-"

"Scary. I know." Nathan chuckled as he playfully rolled his eyes. "You tell me every time it's movie night."

"I'm sorry, I just hate scary movies!" Haley defended with a smile.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I'm here to protect you, y'know?" He stated as he made a muscle with his biceps. "I will hold you and make sure no creepy clowns get in the house."

Haley's eyes widened, "Don't say clowns, you jerk!" She playfully scolded.

"Sorry." Nathan smirked, "So what are you in the mood to see tonight?"

Haley shrugged, and popped a light kiss on Nathan's lips. "Surprise me. I'm going to make some popcorn."

"Okay." Nathan smiled happily, and playfully slapped Haley's backside as she walked back into the kitchen, and gave him a playful glare.

Nathan quickly scrolled through the list of On Demand movies, and finally settled on one, that he felt he and Haley would both like. A few seconds later, Haley came strutting in to their living room carrying a bowl of popcorn and two glasses of wine. Nathan looked up and his eyes instantly darkened.

"Damn, my girl is hot." He smirked.

Haley rolled her eyes and placed herself on Nathan's lap.

"Don't roll your eyes at me Haley James." He scolded in a joking matter.

Haley then stuck her tongue out at him and giggled.

"Don't stick your tongue out either." He joked.

"Or what?" Haley challenged with a flirtatious smirk.

Nathan crinkled his nose, and wrapped his arms around Haley's waist, and he pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her hard.

Haley sighed contently, and eagerly kissed Nathan back with just as much force.

Nathan lightly pushed Haley so that she was lying horizontally on the couch, and slowly slid his hand up her tan thigh, as she let out a small moan.

"I love you Nathan." She panted.

"I love you too, Hales." He whispered and looked longingly into her deep brown eyes.

Haley's heart melted as his passionate tone, and wrapped her legs around his waist as he proceeded to attach his lips onto her neck, and sucked on her skin gently.

Haley rapidly unbuttoned Nathan's shirt, and slid it off of him, as she proceeded to lightly scrape her nails over his chiseled abs.

"What about the movie?" Haley whispered as she felt Nathan's hand inching closer and closer under her shirt.

"Screw it." Nathan breathed, and placed warm kisses up Haley's thigh.

Haley giggled softly, and ran her fingers through his raven black hair, and Nathan grunted softly.

Haley's fingers were dangerously close to Nathan's pants line, but stopped when she heard his cell phone ringing.

"Ignore it." Haley advised.

Nathan instantly obliged and ignored the loud ringing coming from his jeans pocket, and continued to assault Haley's lips.

After about a minute the ringing stopped, but much to Haley's annoyance, it started to ring again.

"Ugh! All I want to do is make out with my sexy boyfriend for like five minutes without being interrupted!" Haley groaned.

Nathan chuckled and quickly glanced at his phone. "I'm sorry babe, I really need to take this. I promise you, the rest of the night I'm yours." He winked.

Haley quickly got up and smoothed out her top, as she watched Nathan answer the phone and walk out onto the terrace.

"Hello?" Nathan answered in a whisper.

"Nathan?" The voice asked.

"Yeah this is me. I'm guessing you got my message?" Nathan asked.

"Yes I did, and I think it's a wonderful idea."

Nathan smiled to himself, "Thanks."

"I miss you Nate, how are you?"

"I'm great. Really great. How are you?" Nathan replied.

"I'm good, thanks."

"Glad to hear it." Nathan replied honestly. "So we need to be really secret about this if we're going to go through with this. Haley can't find out about this."

"I agree." The voice responded into the phone.

"So I'll meet you at your house tomorrow, and we can talk about what we are going to do." Nathan proposed.

"Sounds good. Thanks Nathan."

"No problem. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"Me too! Good luck trying to hide this from Haley."

Nathan groaned into the phone, and the voice on the other line laughed. "You got yourself into this mess" The voice mocked.

"I know." Nathan said into the phone as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye Nathan."

"Bye." Nathan sighed and quickly ended the call, as he walked back into the kitchen to find Haley casually sipping on a glass of water, and thumbing through a magazine. Nathan smirked to himself and came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Sorry about that." He whispered against her neck.

"Who was that?" Haley asked, trying not to sound like an annoying, whiny, girlfriend.

"Oh..uh.." Nathan stumbled and just continued to kiss Haley's neck.

"Nathan..." Haley pressed.

"Just a guy from the team." Nathan lied, praying Haley couldn't realize.

Haley looked into his eyes skeptically, but decided not to press it anymore, and gave into Nathan's kiss. "Okay well, you're not allowed to answer any more phone calls, because you- my handsome boyfriend- are all mine tonight." Haley whispered seductively as she ran her hands up and down his chest.

Nathan smirked and easily picked up Haley and threw her over his shoulder and carried her into their bedroom, to have his way with her.

* * *

"Nathan, where are you going?" Haley groaned as she clung tighter to Nathan, who was eagerly trying to get out of the bed.

"Oh- Hales- you're awake!" Nathan pointed out awkwardly.

Haley rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and pulled the sheet up to cover her naked body. "Of course I'm up. I can't sleep without you." She pouted.

Nathan gulped, "Oh, well I'm sorry for waking you baby, but I really need to go."

"Where are you going?" Haley asked with a slight pout.

"Uh, the gym." Nathan lied.

"But you're putting on jeans." Haley pointed out.

Nathan looked down at his choice of outfit and silently cursed. "Oh well I usually bring my gym clothes to the gym, and then change." He stuttered.

"Oh?" Haley laughed, "Okay you weirdo, just give me a kiss before you go."

"Of course." Nathan smiled, and then leaned down to place a long, sweet kiss on Haley's lips.

"I love you." Haley said simply.

"Love you too!" Nathan called as he exited the bedroom, and made his way to the next destination.

* * *

"...Do you think Haley has any idea this is going on?"

Nathan sighed, "I hope not. If she finds out-"

"She's going to freak out."

"Exactly." Nathan chuckled. "I think I'd freak out too."

"What will you do if she finds out?"

"She's not going to find out." Nathan said simply. "I'll make sure of it."

"You're determined. I like it."

Nathan smiled proudly. "Well I'd do anything for Haley not to find out."

"She's going to kill you."

Nathan threw his head back and ran his hands down his face, "I know, I know."

"It's a pretty ballsy thing that you're doing, Nathan."

Nathan laughed, "It's too late to back out now."

"You really think this is a good idea?"

"I don't know-" Nathan was cut off my the sound of his phone ringing. He looked down and muttered a curse.

"Who is it?"

"Haley." Nathan groaned.

"Short leash much?"

"Shut up!" Nathan joked.

"Are you going to answer it?"

"Do you think I should?" Nathan asked nervously.

"Yeah."

"Hello?" Nathan answered with a shaky voice.

"Nathan? Where the hell are you? I've been worried sick, and you haven't answered any of my texts!" Haley practically screamed into the phone.

"Relax, I got caught up at the gym. I'm visiting an old friend now." Nathan said casually.

"Really? Who?" Haley huffed.

"Uhh... you don't know him." Nathan stuttered.

"Why are you being so damn cryptic?" Haley scolded.

"Uhh...umm" Nathan continued to stutter.

"Who was that?" Haley asked.

"Huh?"

"I just heard a woman laughing. Where are you Nathan?" Haley asked on the verge of tears.

"Why do you care?" Nathan snapped, but instantly regretted his choice of words when he heard Haley sigh angrily into the phone.

"Why do I care?" Haley bit back sarcastically. "Gee, I don't know Nathan, maybe because you've been so damn secretive this past week, and you're obviously lying about who you're with! Forgive me- your girlfriend, who happens to be hopelessly in love with you- for wondering where the hell her boyfriend has been! I'm sorry I care about you!" Haley seathed into the phone.

"Hales-" Nathan began.

"Are you cheating on me?" Haley cried.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"You know what, never mind, don't answer that. Bye." Haley snapped, and ended the call.

Nathan glanced down at his phone and sighed as he ran a tired hand through his hair.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea." He murmured to himself.

* * *

Later that night, Nathan finally arrived home, and quietly opened the front door. His heart clenched at the sight. Haley was rolled up in a ball on the couch, with tissues scattered around the floor, and obvious tear stains were on her cheek.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Nathan asked as he rushed over to Haley.

Haley scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Like you don't know

"Seriously, what?" Nathan asked.

"You're unbelievable!" Haley screamed, and ran into her bedroom, and slammed the door in Nathan's face.

Nathan instantly chased after her, but stopped when the door landed in his face. "Hales, open up. Please." Nathan begged.

"No!" Haley shouted, and quickly threw a change of clothes and a blanket out the door, and closed it again. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Why?" Nathan asked to the closed door.

Haley scoffed again, "Because you've been out all day- with some other woman- and you're lying to me!"

Nathan groaned, "C'mon babe, open the door."

Haley ignored him, as she walked into her in suite bathroom and took a shower. In spite of Nathan, she even slipped her thong under the door, to get him worked up.

Nathan stood outside the door dumbfounded and groaned when he saw Haley slip her underwear under the door. "You're killing me Hales."

"Good!" She shouted back.

Nathan sighed, and after about ten minutes of waiting, he finally gave up and slept on the couch.

* * *

Haley woke up expecting her boyfriend to surprise her with breakfast or flowers or jewelry, considering it was her 24th birthday, but she was met with nothing. She pouted slightly, and got up and trotted into the living room to find her boyfriend sound asleep on the couch. She sighed angrily and walked back to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee.

A few minutes later Nathan stumbled into the kitchen wearing only boxers. "Mornin'" He mumbled sleepily.

Haley bit down on her lip. As much as she was mad at him yesterday, she couldn't ignore the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous.

"Anything you want to say to me?" Haley asked cheerfully.

Nathan furrowed his brows and stared into Haley's eyes.

"Um sorry for fighting yesterday?"

Haley put her hands on her hips and blew out a deep breath. "That's it?" She questioned.

"I love you?" Nathan said in a questioning voice.

Haley shook her head and sighed.

"What?" Nathan asked as he took a long chug of gatorade.

"What are we doing today?" Haley asked with a bit of hope laced in her voice.

"I don't know. I'm pretty tired. I think I'm just going to relax all day. What about you?"

Haley frowned, "I thought we would do something nice today, but I guess not."

"I might see Clay later. You wanna come?" Nathan asked nonchalantly.

"Nathan, do you know what today is?" Haley asked.

Nathan scratched the back of his neck and furrowed his brows. "Uh Saturday?"

"Unbelievable." Haley breathed. _"He forgot my birthday..."_ She thought bitterly.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Just peachy." She said sarcastically.

* * *

Haley sat at the kitchen table and absent-mindedly read a magazine, but her head or heart wasn't really in it. For the past six hours, she watched Nathan play video games, and watch TV all day. To say she was angry was an understatement. How could her loving boyfriend forget her birthday?

"Hey Hales?" Nathan called from the couch.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"I'm going to see Clay. You wanna come?"

Haley sighed, "Do you think we can stop for dinner too? I'm hungry and I don't feel like cooking."

"Sure." Nathan shrugged. "I guess we can go through a drive-thru at McDonalds."

Haley laughed bitterly. She was never the type to ask for fancy dinners or gifts on her birthday, but McDonalds, really? No, just no.

"Sure. Whatever." Haley mumbled, and followed Nathan out of the house and to his car.

The drive was silent for the first few minutes until Nathan decided to break the ice. "Is everything okay Haley? You've been acting weird all day."

"Funny." She bit sarcastically. "I could say the same thing about you."

"Look, I know I've been going out a lot, but I've been pretty stressed with the draft and everything." Nathan stated.

"So I guess that's why you forgot my birthday." Haley whispered sadly.

"Huh?" Nathan asked as he was staring at the road in front of him.

"Nevermind." Haley replied.

"No, really. What?"

"You forgot my damn birthday Nathan! I know you've been busy with work, and I get that, but this last week, you've been acting really weird and cryptic and I'm beginning to think you have another woman in your life-"

Nathan chuckled to himself, but unfortunately Haley heard him.

"Are you laughing?" She snapped.

"No." He laughed.

"You're unbelievable Nathan." She said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Are you crying?" Nathan asked.

"No." She lied as she wiped the tear dropped from her eyes.

"Hales, please don't cry." Nathan pleaded.

"Can you just tell me what's going on? I don't even feel like I'm your girlfriend anymore..."

Haley cried.

Nathan sighed, and finally stopped the car in front of Clay's house. He quickly got out of the car, and opened Haley's door.

"Are you going to answer me?" Haley demanded.

Nathan shrugged and walked up the steps to Clay's mansion.

"Nathan Scott, you talk to me right this instant, or- or-"

"Or what?" He challenged with a smirk.

"Or- I'll break up with you!" She cried.

Nathan's smirk fell, and he grabbed Haley's hand. "You want to know what's been up this past week?" He asked.

Haley nodded eagerly.

Nathan knocked lightly on the door, and gulped, "Okay, but you're not going to like this..."

* * *

**I know, I know! A cliffhanger. I'm sorry! I needed to make things interesting, and I had to split the two chapters for it to work... I will try to update as soon as I can, but like I said, I'm really busy, but I'm determined to finish this. I can't wait for the epilogue in like four more chapters, so hang in tight. It'll be worth it though, I promise.**

**As always your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	21. Infinity

**I forgot to tell you guys, last chapter was a time jump about two months, so Naley has been back together for almost three months, and it's now August 2nd. And this chapter takes place right after the last one. Sorry for the long wait. Hope it's worth it: **

* * *

"Surprise!" Groups of various friends and family shouted as Haley walked through Clay's front door, and her jaw dropped.

"Happy Birthday Hales!" Lydia James ran to her youngest daughter and enveloped her in a giant hug. Haley looked around the room that was filled with people in awe.

"I don't understand..." She said as she felt tears rise to the surface of her eyes.

Nathan instantly stepped in and grabbed her hand. "Please don't cry... I wanted to surprise you. I didn't mean to make you upset-" Nathan started, but didn't finish because Haley jumped on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, as she pressed her lips over Nathan's, and kissed him with force. She completely forgot that there was a room full of people watching, and eagerly slipped her tongue into his mouth, but accidentally let out a loud moan.

"Damn Hales, you give everyone quite the show!" Haley's sister, Taylor joked.

Haley instantly pulled away from Nathan, and turned tomato red.

Nathan gave her a discreet wink, which made her face burn even hotter.

"That was hot!" Brooke called from her spot on the stair case.

"Do it again!" One of Nathan's friends shouted, but quickly shut up when Nathan shot him a death glare.

"You better not, or I'll beat the shit out of you, Nate." One of Haley's older brothers, Matt, said.

Nathan gulped, and quickly nodded his head.

"Oh hush up, Matthew. They're adorable, and in love. Leave them alone." Lydia scolded lightly.

"Love?!" A few people shrieked in a shocked tone of voice.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other and smiled boisterously. He then leaned down and pecked a short, sweet kiss on her lips. "Yeah. Haley and I are in love. Truthfully, I've always loved her ever since I laid eyes on her, and ever since then, I've never loved anyone else." Nathan said honestly.

Haley smiled and popped a quick kiss on his cheek. "Isn't he perfect?" She gushed.

There was a chorus of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' throughout the room.

"So will you two be giving us any more grandchildren soon?" Lydia asked hopefully.

Nathan gazed at the floor, and Haley blushed lightly. "Mommy!" Haley scolded.

"You know it's bound to happen one day sweetheart." Lydia smiled bashfully.

"They better be married first." Jimmy James said with a wide smile.

"Of course." Nathan nodded.

"So were you surprised Haley?" Quinn James asked her little sister.

Haley laughed loudly, "I think shocked is more of an appropriate word. I had no idea you guys even planned this."

"Don't look at us." Quinn and Clay said. "This was all your boyfriend's idea."

Haley turned her head and looked up at Nathan. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I know I've been really secretive lately, but I was busy trying to plan this party. I wanted it to be perfect." Nathan stated.

"Thank you." Haley smiled cheekily. "It is perfect, and I was definitely surprised. I had no idea you planned this. I was beginning to think you were having an affair." She said half joking.

Nathan frowned, "You know I'd never do that to you. I love you, and there's no one better than you."

Haley felt her eyes tearing again, and looked up at Nathan lovingly. "I love you too."

"What about me? I helped him y'know!" Lydia stated proudly.

Haley looked away from Nathan, and starred at her mom. "Really?" She giggled.

"Yep. I must say, you sure are a lucky gal. Nate's a great guy." Lydia smiled.

"I know." Haley whispered cheerfully.

"I felt horrible that I had to lie to you Hales, but it was all for a good cause." Nathan added.

"It's okay. You're really sweet for doing this, even though I hate surprises." She grinned.

Nathan bit his lip, a habit he picked up from his girlfriend, and frowned. "You don't like it?"

"No. I love it. Thank you." She smiled, and kissed him quickly.

"Good. I'm glad." He smiled. "Now come on, why don't you introduce me to some people?"

Haley raised an eyebrow, "You invited people you didn't even know?" She giggled.

"Your mom was the one who was in charge of inviting people, and I had to pretty much do everything. Including keeping it from you, which really wasn't easy." He smiled.

"Never under estimate my ability to find things out, babe." Haley smirked.

"I know, but I got you, so that's all that matters."

"Yeah, whatever." Haley playfully rolled her eyes. "So did Clay have anything to do with this?"

Nathan laughed, "No, I just asked him to use his and Quinn's house, because it went along with my plan of pretending to forget your birthday."

"You know, that was a pretty risky move. I was getting really angry that you forgot."

"But I didn't forget." Nathan smirked. "I can never forget the day my girl was brought into this world."

Haley smiled happily and ran her hand over his cheek. "I fall in love with you more and more each day."

"I do too." He said as he looked longingly into her deep chocolate brown eyes.

Haley blushed lightly and suddenly dragged him over to where her siblings, cousins, and parents were standing.

"There she is!" Haley's sister, Vivian shouted, and pulled her in for a tight hug. "How are you, little sis?"

Haley smiled widely at her sister. "I'm great. Really great. How are you?"

"I'm ready to pop, but I'm doing very well." Vivian said referring to her large baby bump.

Haley laughed, and placed her hand on the baby bump. "I'm so excited I get to be an aunt again! How's the little guy doing? Have you picked a name yet?"

"John Junior." Vivian smiled.

"That's sweet! I'm sure John is happy his son is being named after him." Haley laughed.

"Yeah, he was the one that picked it. Emma wanted us to name him Glitter."

Haley as rest of the other people standing in the circle, laughed loudly. "Where is my four year old niece?" Haley asked.

"I'm sure she's running around here somewhere. She has so much energy these days." Vivian laughed.

"Well if you ever need Nathan and I to babysit, just let us know. We'd be happy to do it." Haley offered.

Nathan's eyes widened, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Haley noticed his features stiffen, and she rubbed a calming hand over his back.

"You know, I don't think I've ever met you, Nathan. Although I have heard so much about you! My sister is head over heels in love with you!" Vivian smiled sweetly. "I'm Vivian James Salsan."

Nathan smiled, and held his hand out for a polite shake.

"Don't worry, I won't give you the 'talk'." Vivian joked. "I'm sure my older brothers have scarred you with that already. As long as my little Haley Bop is happy - which she clearly is- then I'm happy."

Nathan laughed softly and nodded. "I love Hales, and I promise you that I will never hurt her intentionally. She's my whole world." He said as he looked down at Haley.

"Aw you're so sweet!" Vivian gushed. "He's a keeper." She whispered loudly to Haley, who blushed.

"Mommy! Mommy!" A little blonde girl screamed happily, and ran up to Vivian.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I want to see Aunt Haley!"

"I'm right here!" Haley smiled as she knelt down and Emma ran into her arms.

"Aunt Haley! I missed you!" Emma said as she hugged Haley.

"I missed you too Princess."

"Happy Bwirthday!" She screamed in a baby voice.

"Thanks Em." Haley smiled.

"Guess what?" Emma gushed.

"What?" Haley asked happily in a high pitched voice.

"My baby brother is going to be born in a few weeks!"

Haley smiled widely at the little girl. "That's great Em! Are you excited?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She screamed happily and jumped up and down.

Nathan looked on at Haley and Emma and smiled softly to himself. Haley was great with kids, and his heart burst with warmth, as he thought about what it would be like to have children one day with her.

Haley laughed and stood up, to grab Nathan's hand.

"Emma, I want you to meet someone who means a lot to me." Haley said sweetly as she looked at Nathan.

"Who's that?" She pointed to Nathan.

Haley giggled softly, "This is my boyfriend Nathan. Can you say hi to him?"

Emma blushed slightly, and ran behind Haley's legs.

"Em, what's wrong?"

"Boys have cooties!" She whispered.

Haley laughed, and looked at her niece. "I promise Nathan doesn't have cooties. He's a great guy, and he won't bite." She joked.

"I'm sorry. She's a bit shy." Vivian excused. "Emma, go on, say Hi."

Nathan crouched down, and smiled softly. "Hi Emma. Haley has told me so much about you. It's nice to meet you."

Emma suddenly smiled widely, and ran through Haley's legs to get closer to Nathan.

"You're cute!" She said surprising everyone.

Nathan chuckled nervously, "Uh. Thanks."

Haley giggled, and knelt down next to Nathan.

"Are you in love like mommy and daddy?" Emma asked with wide eyes.

Nathan smiled and looked at Haley. "Yeah. Your aunt is the best. I love her with all my heart."

"I love her too!" Emma announced.

Haley smiled and pulled Emma in for another hug. "I love you Princess!"

"Do I have to call Nathwan, 'Uncwle Nathwan'?" Emma asked innocently.

Haley bit her lip and looked at Nathan, who stiffened.

"Um, well.." Haley started.

"Sure, Emma. You can call me that if you'd like." Nathan smiled.

"Okay!" Emma said simply. "Are you married?"

Haley laughed softly, "No Emma, we're just dating."

"When will you get married?" Emma asked again.

Haley blushed profusely, and Nathan wiped his now sweaty hands on the back of his shorts.

"Well Emma, we just started dating... couples have to wait a long time to decide if they want to be married." Haley explained the best that she could.

"Well I think you should get married."

Nathan chuckled, "Thanks Emma."

"Can I be the flower girl?" She asked.

Haley ran an embarrassed hand over her face, and rubbed Nathan's shoulder. She mouthed a quick 'sorry', and Nathan smiled softly.

"Sure." Nathan agreed.

"Yay!" Emma jumped happily. "Aunt Haley?" She asked.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Is there a baby in your stomach too?" Emma asked loudly.

Haley's face reddened, and her eyes widened. "Um what?"

"Mommy says, if two people are in love, a stork comes and brings them a baby to put in a mommy's stomach." Emma explained.

Haley and Nathan shared a brief laugh, and Haley bit her lip. "No Emma, mommy's and daddy's have to be married for a 'stork' to bring them a baby."

"Oh. Okay." Emma shrugged. "I'm gonna go play with my dolls." She said and ran away from the adults.

Haley and Nathan stood back up and shared an awkward smile.

"I'm sorry..." Haley said shyly.

"It's okay. She's cute." Nathan laughed. "You're so good with her."

"So are you." Haley said as she ran her hand up and down his bicep.

"Really? I've never really been around children before."

Haley nodded, "Well you're a real natural."

"Thanks." He smiled widely.

"You're welcome." Haley whispered, and was about to lean in for a kiss but stopped when she heard someone clear their throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just want to say Happy Birthday Haley!" One of Haley's uncles said.

"Uncle Walter!" Haley shouted happily. "How are you?" She asked as she hugged him.

Walter James, one of Jimmy Jame's, eight siblings, laughed. "Oh, I'm alright. How are you?"

"I'm great, Thanks. Have you met my boyfriend?" She asked pointing to Nathan who was standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets.

Walter looked over to Nathan and his jaw dropped.

"You're dating Nathan Scott?"

Haley smiled and giggled softly. "Yes I am." Haley often forgot that she was dating the star of an NBA team, because he was nothing at all like the media portrayed him to be.

"How did I not know this?" Walter gasped. "Do you realize you're dating one of the best players in the NBA?"

Haley giggled, and felt Nathan wrap his arm around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm pretty lucky." She smiled, and placed a sweet kiss on Nathan's cheek.

"I can't believe this! I'm a huge Bobcat fan. You're an amazing player!" Walter said as he stuck his hand out to eagerly shake Nathan's hand.

Nathan smiled, "Thanks. Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure's all mine!" Walter exclaimed.

Suddenly Jimmy James came up to his brother. "Walter, are you harassing my future son-in-law?"

"Daddy!" Haley scolded. "Stop spreading rumors."

"I'm sorry." Jimmy laughed. "How are you Walter?"

"Fine, but let's cut to the chase. Why didn't you tell me my niece was dating THE Nathan Scott?"

Jimmy laughed, "I wanted to surprise you."

"This is so exciting!" Walter announced. "I'm so happy for you Haley bop. You really scored yourself a keeper."

Haley blushed softly.

"Actually, I'd like to think of myself as the lucky one. Haley's the best thing that has ever happened to me." Nathan announced.

"Good answer, son." Jimmy stated proudly.

"So are you going to renew your contract with the Bobcats this year?" Walter asked.

Nathan cleared his throat nervously, "Um, I still haven't discussed anything with my agent yet. I've been enjoying spending my time with Haley." Nathan smiled and squeezed Haley tightly.

"You think you can get us box seat tickets?" Jimmy asked hopefully.

"Daddy!" Haley scolded.

Nathan chuckled, "Of course, Mr. James."

"What I'd tell you about calling me that, Nate? You can call me Jimmy."

Nathan nodded softly, and suddenly, Lydia appeared.

"Hey, how is everyone?"

"Good thanks." Nathan answered.

"Nate, I want to introduce you to my sister-in-law Katherine. She's Walter's wife."

"Nice to meet you ma'am." Nathan said politely.

"Ma'am? I haven't heard anyone call me that in ages." Katherine exclaimed.

"Nathan is a very respectful young man." Lydia gushed.

"We know! You brag about how Haley is dating an NBA player all the time!" Lisa joked.

"Oh, Nate, this is my neighbor and best friend, Lisa." Lydia introduced them.

"Wow, Haley! Your mom said he was cute, but I don't think 'cute' does justice!" Lisa gushed.

Haley blushed, and Nathan let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Happy Birthday Hales." Lisa and Katherine both said, and kissed her on the cheek.

'Are you enjoying your day so far?" Lisa asked.

Haley smiled, and ran an affectionate hand up Nathan's chest. "Yeah, this one over here, made it seem like he forgot my birthday, so I was definitely shocked that he went through all this to throw me a party."

"I think it's sweet!" Lisa smiled. "I wish my husband would do something like this for me. He stopped acknowledging my birthday years ago!"

"Yeah, Walter does the same thing for me every single year." Katherine rolled her eyes. "We go to some seafood place. I don't even like seafood!" She whispered, and everyone laughed.

"So how did you two meet?" Lisa asked.

Haley smiled, "We met on summer vacation, and dated until we left for college, and then we lost touch-"

"-But I never stopped loving her-" Nathan intervened.

"Right, we still loved each other, but we lost touch and got our wires crossed. So a few months ago we ran into each other at the Tree Hill super market. I found out he was in town for my best friends wedding, because he was the best man, and I was the maid of honor, so we worked things out, and we got back together."

"That's so romantic!" Katherine gushed.

"We're just meant to be." Nathan said sweetly. "Haley's my soul mate."

"Aww!" Lisa gushed. "He's cute, a gentleman, sweet, and a professional basketball player! You sure are one lucky girl Haley James."

"I know." Haley smiled.

"I still remember the day Jimmy and I first met Nathan." Lydia laughed.

Nathan ran his hand over his face and groaned. "Ugh. That was so embarrassing."

Jimmy came over and suddenly joined in on the conversation. "Oh I love this story!"

Nathan let out another groan, as Lydia proceeded to tell the story. Haley hugged Nathan from the side, and giggled.

"This is so embarrassing!" Nathan whispered.

"Oh come on... It's not that bad!" Haley laughed.

"Yes it is."

"Okay it kind of is.." She blushed and buried her head in his chest.

* * *

_July 9th, 2008:_

_"Nathan! Answer the phone! It's probably the girls!" Lucas called from inside the bathroom._

_Nathan groaned and paused his NBA Live game, and walked over to the phone._

_"Hey Hales, do you miss me already? I know I miss you... especially that sexy ass of yours those perfect lips." He said into the phone._

_"Wow I'm flattered, but I'm married. Who is this?" Lydia James asked._

_Nathan gulped. "Uh this is Nathan. Who's this?"_

_"Oh Nathan! Haley's told me so much about you! I'm Lydia James."_

_Nathan's eyes widened. "Mrs. James?"_

_Lydia laughed, "Yes. I was calling to see if Haley was there, but I guess not. I just wanted to let her know that we are coming to visit her today."_

_"Oh..uh..okay. I'll be sure to tell her..." Nathan stuttered._

_"Thank you. Oh and Nathan?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Be sure to use protection. We don't want our little Haley bop getting pregnant yet."_

_Nathan was speechless, and before he could say anything, the phone went dead._

_He starred at the phone and groaned. "Oh my god.." He groaned._

_"Who was that?" Lucas asked as he came out of the bathroom with a pair of shorts and a towel wrapped around his neck._

_"Haley's mom." Nathan groaned._

_"Oh Lydia! How is she?"_

_Nathan closed his eyes, and sank back onto the couch. _

_"What happened?" Lucas chuckled._

_"I thought it was Haley when I answered."_

_"Oh shit, what'd you say?"_

_"I said I missed her sexy ass..." Nathan groaned._

_Lucas laughed loudly, "Oh man! That's great!"_

_"Shut up!" Nathan snapped and threw a pillow at him._

_"If it makes you feel any better, Brooke's mom walked in on us doing it once." Lucas shared._

_Nathan slouched even further into the couch and groaned. "Haley's mom thinks I stole her daughters virginity."_

_"Oh yeah that's pretty bad."_

_"I know." Nathan sighed._

_'Alright man, well I'm going out with Brooke. Feel better." Lucas called as he threw a shirt on and left._

_"Bye." Nathan shouted, and laid down on the couch to take a nap._

_A few hours later, Nathan woke up to find Haley on top of him, peppering kisses all over his face._

_"Wake up, sleepy head." Haley whispered against his lips._

_Nathan smirked, "Hi baby."_

_"What's up?"_

_"I'm not feeling too well." He sighed._

_"No? What's wrong?"_

_"I think I have the flu. My stomach and head hurt." He whined._

_Haley pouted, "Aw I'm sorry boyfriend. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She purred._

_"I don't want to get you sick." Nathan replied._

_"I don't care if I get sick. Then you'll get to take care of me." She whispered._

_"Okay." Nathan agreed immediately. _

_Haley giggled, and quickly discarded his shirt._

_"Why are you taking this off?" He asked._

_"You're hot."_

_"I know." He smirked._

_"No I mean, - well yes you're very hot- but I mean you're temperature is hot."_

_"Oh okay. Fine by me." He smiled softly._

_"If you want... you can take my shirt off too." She smirked._

_"Haley..."_

_"It's okay. I don't want to do anything else, but I want to take my shirt off. It's uncomfortable, and you've seen me in my bathing suit, so it's the same thing as a bra."_

_Nathan nodded, not being able to trust himself to speak._

_Haley quickly discarded her shirt, and leaned down to kiss Nathan. Nathan's eyes were transfixed on her chest and he gulped hard._

_Nathan ran his hands up Haley's back, and kissed her as their tongues dueled for dominance._

_After a few minutes of making out, the cabin door suddenly swung open, and Nathan rolled off of the couch._

_"Oh...hi...sorry to interrupt..." Lydia said flabbergasted._

_"Mom!" Haley shrieked, and quickly scurried to find her shirt. "What are you doing here?" She blushed and threw her tank top back on._

_"Didn't Nathan tell you he we were coming?" Lydia asked._

_Nathan quickly stood up, and ignored the dizziness he was feeling, and Haley gave him a death glare._

_"No... he didn't.."_

_"Sorry." Nathan shrugged. "I forgot."_

_"It's okay.. I understand you were... busy. I hope you listened to me Nathan." Lydia winked._

_"Wait, what did I miss?" Haley asked._

_"Yeah, what'd I miss?" Jimmy James asked as he came in through the cabin door._

_"Nothing." Lydia smiled. "Haley was just introducing us to her boyfriend Nathan."_

_"Ah, Nathan. The boy that my daughter doesn't stop talking about." Jimmy smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you."_

_Nathan stuck his hand out to greet Jimmy, but suddenly felt his stomach clenching and unclenching- and it wasn't just from nerves. He could feel the warm, sour bile rising up his esophagus, and tried his best to swallow it._

_"Are you alright, son? You're looking a little green..."_

* * *

"So what happened?" Lisa pressed.

"He hacked all over my shoes!" Jimmy laughed

"Mr. James, I'm so sorry, again. I feel really bad that happened-" Nathan apologized.

"No hard feelings." Jimmy smiled. "I told you we'd look back on that one day and laugh, remember?"

Nathan cracked a small smile. "Yeah, but I really wanted to make a good impression on you, and that wasn't my plan."

"Don't worry about it. You treat my daughter better than I could imagine, and you make her happy, so that's all that matters." Jimmy smiled.

"Thank you." Nathan nodded politely.

Just then, Haley's older brothers Matthew and Brian came up to Nathan. "It's time to have the talk. Come with us."

"Matt! Don't scare him away please!" Haley begged.

"If he's really the one, he won't run away. Right Nate?" Matt asked.

Nathan clenched his jaw and nodded, as he followed Haley's older brothers outside on the back deck.

"So Nathan Scott, number 23, shooting guard on the Charlotte Bobcats. Why are you with my sister?" Brian James asked him.

Nathan looked Brian seriously in the eyes, "I love her. I'm in love with her. I've loved her ever since I was eighteen."

"I see." Brian nodded. "Then how come you were pictured with a new girl every night for the past five years?"

Nathan sighed, "Honestly, I was heartbroken. I told Haley I loved her the night before college, and she sent me away. I had no idea what to do. I knew I'd never find anyone like her, so I was afraid of putting my heart on the line, and getting hurt again. Haley always held my heart, so I guess a part of me was just waiting for her, and the only way to heal the pain was to try and forget about her by sleeping with women- who by the way never meant anything to the whole time all I ever wanted was Haley. She means the world to me, and I'd do anything for her. I'm never letting go of her, because she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. She's the light of my world. I will put her needs ahead of mine, and I'd take a bullet for her in a second. I know it's too soon to even be thinking about this but I know one day she is going to be my wife, and we are going to grow old together. When I think about my future, I always see her there. I don't know about anything else, but I do know she's always there. I want her to have my babies, and I want her to wheel me around when I'm eighty. I never want to hurt her, and I want to wake up next to her every day and be the reason why she is smiling. She's everything I've ever dreamed about and more."

Nathan finally finished and took a deep breath. "I'm going to take care of her. I promise you that."

"You sure you're not gay, man?" Brian joked. "Nah, I'm kidding. I'm convinced that you love her. Actually I could tell the second you two walked in here that you were madly in love. I don't need you to convince me that, but I need to know you're not going to hurt her."

"Yeah man, I know you love her, and you make her happy. That's great, but if you ever hurt her, I swear to god, you'll never be able to play basketball again, and you sure as hell won't be able to even look at another woman." Matt threatened.

"Trust me. I don't even want to look at another woman. Haley's it for me. No one can be better than her." Nathan smiled.

"Good." Brian smiled, and pulled Nathan in for a man hug. "Take care of her. She's fragile."

"You know, she was the one who broke my heart- not the other way around." Nathan tried to joke, but Matt didn't laugh.

"Yeah well I know how you basketball players are. You're on the road every night, you go to bars, get drunk, and cheat-"

"Whoa, whoa... I may have slept with a lot of women, but I do not condone cheating. I have never, nor will I ever cheat. Especially not on Haley, and I will do anything to prove that to you."

Matt sighed, "Alright. I trust you. I'm glad she's with you and not some loser. It's pretty cool you're in the NBA. Please just treat her right, okay?"

"Okay." Nathan nodded. "I will."

"Good answer, Kid."

* * *

Haley was in the kitchen surrounded by her friends and family, and talking about Nathan.

"So what did he get you?" Brooke asked.

Haley bit her lip, "He didn't need to get me anything. I already have everything I ever wanted." She smiled.

"Awww!" The women gushed.

Nathan suddenly came up behind Haley and cleared his throat, "Actually babe, I did get you something." Nathan announced.

"Nathan, you didn't have to-" Haley began.

"Of course I did. You're my girlfriend, and it's your birthday. But first, I must thank your parents for bringing you into this world, because I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Awww." The ladies gushed again.

"Thank you, Nathan, for loving Haley. For a while, Jimmy and I were worried she'd never find anyone." Lydia said.

"Mommy!" Haley shrieked. 'Are you serious?"

"No..." Lydia lied, and Haley rolled her eyes.

"Gee, Thanks." Haley muttered sarcastically.

Nathan laughed, and suddenly pulled a long black box out of his pocket.

"Oh my god! He's proposing!" Lisa shouted.

Nathan snickered, "I think it's too soon to do that. This is just a little something." He shrugged.

"Nathan..." Haley said breathlessly as he handed her the box.

"Happy Birthday Hales. I love you baby."

"I love you too." She smiled, and eagerly opened the box that revealed a diamond encrusted infinity sign necklace. Haley let out a loud gasp when she saw it.

"Always and forever, right?" Nathan whispered in her ear.

"Oh my god!" She shrieked.

"Do you like it?" Nathan asked nervously.

"I love it! It's absolutely beautiful! Thank you!" She gushed and launched herself into his open arms.

"You're welcome." Nathan smiled. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure if you would. I picked it out by myself."

"It's perfect."

"Let me see!" Lydia intervened, and she quickly marveled at the diamond necklace. "Oh my god! This is beautiful! You have great taste in jewelry!" Lydia complimented.

"Thanks. I wanted it to be special, and infinity is never ending, which is like my love for your daughter."

Lydia put her hands over her heart and smiled, "You are so sweet!"

"Oh! Can I see?" Lisa asked.

Haley nodded, and held up the necklace.

"Wow that looks expensive!" Taylor James said as she came up to Haley..

"Taylor!" Lydia scolded. "That's rude."

Taylor smirked, "If you and Nate don't work out, tell him to give me a call." She winked.

Haley glared at her sister, "Not a chance in hell. He's mine."

Nathan smirked and wrapped his hands protectively around Haley's waist. He then whispered in her ear, "I love it when you get all possessive. It's so sexy."

Haley shivered involuntarily at the sound of Nathan's husky voice, and hot breath on her ear.

"Can you put on my necklace for me please?" She asked kindly.

"Of course. Anything for the birthday girl." Nathan smiled, and unclasped the necklace as he gently placed it around her neck.

The rest of the night, Haley as well as the rest of the party guests indulged in dinner and dessert as they conversed about everything and anything. Haley made her way around the party, introducing Nathan to everyone, and receiving compliments about her new necklace.

* * *

Nathan was in the middle of talking to one of Haley's family members, when he suddenly felt Clay pulling him into his office.

"What the hell man? I'm at my girlfriends surprise party! I can't exactly just leave." Nathan snarled.

"I know, I'm sorry but this is really important." Clay said as he paced his office.

"Okay? What's up?"

"You may want to sit down for this." Clay said tentatively.

"Okay now you're scarring me." Nathan said as he blew out a deep breath.

"Good news or bad news first?" Clay asked.

"Uh, bad." Nathan shrugged.

Clay cleared his throat, "Okay well, you know how your contract is up?"

Nathan nodded.

"Well the Bobcats figured you didn't want to renew it, so they gave away your position to a new player."

"WHAT?!"

"Look man, calm down-" Clay said.

"Calm down? Clay you don't understand! I need to be near Hales. Charlotte is the closest I'm gonna get. I need to be near her. I promised her-"

"Okay relax. Maybe she'll be willing to go with you to-"

"No! Her job is here! I can't make her do that. Shit Clay! This is just like when we were eighteen!"

"Maybe not. You're older now, and more mature. You can do it."

"No I can't! I can't! I need to be with her!"

"Okay, so she'll go with you-"

"I can't ask her to do that Clay. It's not fair."

"Do you want the good news?" Clay asked.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, "Sure, whatever."

"The Lakers are offering you 10 mil for two years." Clay said enthusiastically.

"That's great Clay, but I want to play for the Bobcats." Nathan sighed.

"I thought you'd be happy! I jumped through hoops to get you that deal. You told me just last year you wanted to play for the Lakers."

"Yeah, well things change." Nathan said solemnly.

"You should just talk to Haley about it, this way you can come to an agreement together."

"What is there to agree about? I'm pretty much forced to play for the Lakers!"

"I don't know what else to tell you man. The Lakers really want you."

"Please, Clay, do something. I'll do whatever it takes to play for the Bobcats."

"I'll try my best." Clay said uneasily. "Just talk to Haley, okay?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah, sure. Whatever." He dismissed quickly, and ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

The party finally ended, and once Haley collected all of her gifts, and said her farewells to her friends and family, she and Nathan headed back to Haley's house to call it a night.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked as she noticed Nathan was abnormally quiet while driving.

"Huh?" Nathan asked.

"You seem upset." Haley pointed out as she ran grabbed one of his hands and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Oh nothing, I'm just tired. It's been a long day." He lied.

Haley laughed softly. "I know what you mean. I had an amazing birthday though. Thank you."

"I'm glad. I wanted to make it special for you."

"It was perfect. I can't thank you enough."

"No problem." Nathan smiled widely. "I'd do anything for you. You know that right?"

"Of course. I'd do anything for you too, baby."

Nathan smiled, and slowly made a right onto the parkway and continued to drive.

"So I've been thinking..." Haley began.

"Yeah?"

"I want to move to Charlotte with you."

Nathan almost slammed on the brakes. 'What?"

"Well I know you have to go back to training soon, and I know you're going to be there for a while, and it'll be difficult for you to drive back and fourth all the time, so I decided I will come with you. I mean if you want-"

"What about your job?" Nathan asked.

"I can teach any where. Your job requires a lot of traveling, and I want to be able to see you as much as possible. So I want to go with you." She smiled.

Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled tightly. "Okay. Um, can we talk about this tomorrow? I want you to enjoy your birthday, and not stress out about this."

"Okay." Haley nodded.

"Thanks." Nathan said softly and he made it onto the street that they lived on. A few seconds later he parked his car in the garage, and helped Haley unload the gifts and carry them back into the house.

"Hales, stay out here." He advised.

"Why?"

"I have your other gift inside, I have to go get it. Please stay here."

"Nathan, you already did too much-"

"It's just a little thing, I promise, I'll be right back." Nathan quickly sprinted inside and finished what he had to do. A few minutes later he walked back into the garage and wrapped a blindfold around Haley.

"What are you doing?" She giggled.

"You'll see, just hold on to me. Okay?" Nathan asked.

"Um... Okay." Haley laughed. "I hope it's not another surprise party." She joked.

"It's not." Nathan chuckled, and gently guided Haley into their bedroom.

He then slowly took off her blind fold, and she gasped at the sight in front of her. There were a bunch of rose petals spread out on the bed spread that made out the words "Happy Birthday" and a few dozen candles were spread around the room, as well as a bottle of champagne.

"Nathan!" She gasped. "What is all of this?"

"Do you remember the night of your 18th birthday?" Nathan smiled.

"Of course." Haley smiled. "You took me on that dinner cruise, and then we got matching tattoos, and- oh my god." She said suddenly realizing what else happened.

Nathan saw her blush and he gently placed a piece of her honey blond hair behind her ear. "We made love for the first time that night."

"It was the night I lost my virginity." She whispered.

"Do you ever regret it?" He asked.

"Not for a second." She said as she leaned against his forehead. "It was the best night of my life."

"The best night of my life was the night you told me you loved me." Nathan smiled.

"At the airport?" Haley asked.

"No. You told me that night you were drunk."

"Oh my god!" Haley shrieked. 'Did I really? Ugh that's so unromantic!"

"The truth comes out when you're drunk.' He winked.

Haley laughed wildly. "God you're amazing."

"I love you Haley James."

"I love you more Nathan Scott."

Nathan smiled and gently picked up Haley and threw her on the bed.

"You know they say that birthday sex is the best kind of sex." Nathan said against her lips.

"Oh yeah?" She asked as she hastily unbuttoned his shirt.

"Yeah." Nathan said huskily and slid his shirt over his head.

"Ugh you're so hot!" Haley said as she licked her lips, starring at his obvious six pack.

"So are you." Nathan breathed against her neck. "Except, you're over dressed."

"I can take care of that." Haley said flirtatiously and quickly slid out of her dress.

"Better?" She asked.

"Mhmm." Nathan nodded and pulled her on top of him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too babe."

"Prepare to make the best love you've ever made in your life." Nathan said.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever said." Haley laughed loudly which quickly turned into a moan when she felt Nathan's arousal rub against her stomach.

"Stupid, huh?" Nathan laughed.

"Shut up, and kiss me." Haley demanded playfully.

"Whatever you say, birthday girl." Nathan smirked, and for the rest of the night, they made love.

* * *

**Sorry but I was too lazy to write a love scene, so just stick to your pervy imaginations ;) We pretty much know how Naley sex goes. **

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait, school just started and it's crazy. I also have tennis everyday and I need to babysit, so I have to do homework at like nine every night and I never have time to write, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I spent literally all day today writing it, so please just take likte two seconds to comment? Thanks :) **

**Drama is about to come, but it won't be too bad. Probably only four chapters left. :( I lvoe this story but I don't want to keep dragging it on. **

**Thanks for the support! **


	22. Twist of Fate

**Prepare for an emotional chapter. Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy. Tell me what you think please because I spent all night working on this and I have school tomorrow. BLAH. Thanks for the love. You're the best! xoxox **

* * *

A few weeks later:

Haley sat rolled up in a ball on her sister Quinn's bed, hysterically crying. The tears were streaming down her face full force, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She didn't know how long she had been crying but it felt like forever. She didn't think it was possible to cry this much. Everything Nathan said he'd never do, he did. He hurt her. She had no idea what was going to happen. One minute she was so in love, and everything was going perfect. The next second, her world was crashing down, and she had no idea what to do about it. Haley let out a loud sob, and choked on air as her mind replayed everything that happened last night:

* * *

_Haley paced her bed room floor, as she eagerly gnawed on her lower lip. She checked her phone every thirty seconds, and still no word from her boyfriend. Nathan had been going out a lot more than he usually did, and Haley felt like he was still keeping secrets from her. She thought after her surprise party was over, he wouldn't keep anything else from her and every time she asked him about it, Nathan would just brush it off and say he was 'just catching up with the guys'. Tonight he was supposedly going to Clay's to play poker, and he said he'd be home by eleven, and it was now almost one am._

_Haley looked down at her necklace that Nathan had given her for her birthday, and she toyed with it nervously. She had something very important to tell him, and she didn't know how he'd take it. Haley was also curious about Nathan's arrangements about playing for the Bobcats. She offered to move with him to Charlotte, but he still never said anything about it. In fact, he hadn't even mentioned basketball once. Haley sighed deeply as she thought about everything that was on her mind._

* * *

_"Did you make a decision, yet?" Clay asked Nathan as he strolled into his office._

_Nathan sighed and plopped down on a chair. "No."_

_"What did Haley say?"_

_Nathan bit his lip, "Yeah... um... about that..."_

_"You didn't tell her did you?" Clay asked knowingly._

_"No.." Nathan whispered _

_"Dammit Nate! I told you to tell her!" Clay scolded as he slammed his fist against the desk._

_Nathan ran a hand over his face and groaned, "I know Clay, I just really don't know what to do."_

_"That's what Haley's for! She can help you figure it out!"_

_"She offered to come to Charlotte with me." Nathan said hesitantly. _

_"I'm sorry man." Clay said solemnly. "I tried the best I can." _

_"I know. I appreciate it."_

_"Okay, look." Clay began, "If Haley wasn't in the picture, what would you do?"_

_Nathan furrowed his brows, "I'm never taking her out of the picture. She's my everything."_

_"No, I know that. I'm saying... what if you never got back together. The Lakers want you... what would you do?" Clay proposed._

_Nathan inhaled sharply. "I'd take the offer with no second thought."_

_"There's your answer." Clay said. _

_"It's not. I still have Haley to consider."_

_"I can guarantee you any team, Nate. You're a great prospect, but the Bobcats filled your position. I'm sorry." Clay said._

_"I know." Nathan groaned. "You told me a million times."_

_"You should be happy Nathan. The Los Angele's Lakers want YOU!"_

_Nathan smiled softly, "Yeah. I am happy, but I'm also guilty. I would hate for Haley to have to drop everything and move with me."_

_"I understand that. But maybe there's a solution. What if you played for the Lakers for a year, and Haley stays in Tree Hill?" Clay suggested,_

_Nathan shook his head, "I can't be away from her for a year. I don't even like being away from her for an hour."_

_Clay chuckled, "You're so whipped."_

_"Shut up." Nathan snapped._

_"Sorry." Clay defended. "So what should I tell the Lakers?"_

_"I need to talk to Haley..." Nathan sighed._

_"I have to let them know by tomorrow, Nate!"_

_"Okay. I'll tell her right now, and I'll call you right away." Nathan said as he jumped out of his seat and made his way home as quick as possible._

* * *

_When Nathan got home, he quietly closed the front door, in case Haley was sleeping. He slowly tip toed into their bedroom, and his heart constricted at the sight. Haley was laying on top of their bed, with a small tear running down her cheek._

_"Baby, what's wrong?" Nathan asked as he ran over to her side, and placed a hand on her back._

_Haley gulped, and wiped the tear from her eye. _

_"Where were you?" She asked quietly. "I was worried sick about you! You're three hours late!"_

_Nathan sighed and stood up to pace the room. "I know. I'm sorry. I was going to call you but my phone died-"_

_Haley sat up and ran a tired hand through her messy hair. "Nathan, what's going on with you? I feel like your hiding something."_

_Nathan put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "We need to talk."_

_Haley's stomach dropped at those words, "You're not going to break up with me are you? Oh my god... I can't..." Her body started to shake violently, and she choked out a loud sob. "Nathan... please..."_

_Nathan furrowed his brows, and rushed over to her. "What?" He laughed softly, "You think I'm breaking up with you?"_

_"That's what 'We needs to talk' stands for right?" She sniffled._

_Nathan wrapped his arms protectively around Haley's shoulders and kissed her forehead. "No. There's no way in hell I'm breaking up with you." Nathan whispered. "Never."_

_Haley smiled softly and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Good, because I need to tell you something..." She stated nervously._

_"What is it?" Nathan asked as he starred into her deep brown eyes._

_"You go first." She whispered._

_"No, I can't concentrate. What's bothering you?" Nathan asked._

_Haley took a deep breath and bit down on her lower lip. She gazed intently into Nathan's crystal blue eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat._

_"I... I think I'm pregnant."_

_Nathan saw Haley's mouth moving, and heard the words "Pregnant" come out of her mouth, but his brain couldn't register it. He couldn't even form a coherent thought. His eyes widened, and he could feel his jaw start to hang._

_"Wha.. what?" He whispered._

_Haley smiled nervously, "We're pregnant, Nathan."_

_"No." He uttered. "This can't be possible. You're on the pill."_

_Haley angrily pulled out of Nathan's embrace and glared at him. "The pill doesn't always work, Nathan!"_

_"I can't believe this." He said absentmindedly. "This can't be happening."_

_"Well it is!" Haley snapped. "We have sex Nathan! You know there's a possibility of getting pregnant!"_

_Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat, "I can't..."_

_"I'm having your baby Nathan! I know it's too soon, but... I can't help but love this child!_

_"How..? When..?" He stuttered._

_"I'm late. Really late." She explained._

_Nathan ran his hands through his hair, and exhaled sharply. "It's too soon. We can't have a kid Haley! We just got back together!"_

_Haley's eyes squeezed tight, and she felt her legs start to loose balance. She stumbled backwards onto the bed and choked out a loud sob._

_"If you don't want this child, then that's fine. You can leave, but I'm keeping it, and there's nothing you can do about it."_

_Nathan threw his head back and instantly cringed. The news shocked him, and he had no idea how to react, so he resorted to his natural instincts of being an asshole._

_"Baby, I'm sorry... I didn't mean that, I'm just scared."_

_"How do you think I feel?" Haley retorted, as tears were streaming down her face._

_Nathan instantly sat down next to her in attempt to console her, but Haley scooted over, and wrapped her arms around her self._

_"Please don't cry." Nathan said with a strained voice._

_Haley wiped furiously at her tears, "I'm scared as hell Nathan. I know we just got back together, and I know it's too soon. I didn't realize it was a possibility until yesterday, and I've been wanting to tell you but I didn't know how..." She hiccuped from crying, "...I was scarred you were going to act like you are now...Whenever I pictured my future, I always wanted to get married and have children with you... and I wanted you to be excited when I told you... I didn't want this." She cried._

_"I'm sorry." Nathan said as he cradled his head in his hands, "I just... I wasn't expecting this."_

_Haley instinctively placed her hands over her stomach and smiled softly. "Do you still want to be with me?" She sniffled._

_"Of course!" Nathan rushed out. "Look, I know it's soon, but I always wanted you to be the mother of my children, and I will love this baby with everything in me."_

_"You will?" Haley asked as she looked up at him with watery eyes._

_Nathan nodded and pulled her in a tight embrace. "Always and forever."_

_"I love you." Haley whispered._

_"Oh God, I love you too Hales. So much." Nathan strained as he felt his own eyes start to water. "Did you take the test yet?" He asked._

_Haley shook her head 'no'. "I.. I wanted to tell you first. I didn't even have time to get to the store."_

_"I'll go now!" Nathan said immediately. "I'll buy ten. We have to know, right?"_

_Haley looked up at him and she felt another sob threaten to take over. "You want it top be negative don't you?" She said accusingly._

_Nathan's jaw clenched. "Don't put words in my mouth, Haley James. I never said that. I told you if you happen to be pregnant, I will love and support this baby, forever."_

_"And what if I'm not?" She countered._

_"Then we'll try again when we are married."_

_"When?" Haley said with a raised eye brow._

_"You know it's going to happen Hales. I still don't think we are ready yet. We've only been together for three and a half months. And besides, I already know how I want to propose, but it's going to take a while."_

_Haley smiled at that, "Are you serious?"_

_"Yeah. I planned it back when we were eighteen. That's how sure I was that you were it for me. I knew you were the one for me when I was eighteen."_

_Haley smiled widely and wiped her tears. "I'm mad at you, but you just made my heart melt."_

_"It's what I do best." Nathan smiled._

_"Where are you going?" She asked as she clung onto him._

_"To the store. I'm going to buy you pregnancy tests, and lots of chocolate." He smirked. "But if you are pregnant, you have to eat healthy."_

_Haley snorted, "Yeah right. I'm going to have random cravings at three am."_

_"Well then you can wake me up and I'll get anything you need." He said seriously._

_"Thank you." She said sweetly._

_"I'm sorry for arguing Haley. I love you." Nathan said, and kissed her feverishly._

_Haley reluctantly pulled away and bit her lip. "I love you too. Be safe."_

_"I will." Nathan promised, and quickly left the house, and made his way to a local 24-hour drug store._

_ As soon as he got to the store, he bought five of the most expensive pregnancy tests, and a large chocolate bar. When he got to the register, the cashier gave him a strange look._

_"My girlfriend thinks she's pregnant." He announced happily._

_"I hope you plan on marrying her if she is." The elderly lady said gruffly. "Kids these days knock each other up, and leave 'em hangin'. You better be there for your kid. Babies are a lotta work, son. But witnessing the miracle of childbirth, and watching that baby grow, is the best thing in the world. Especially knowing that you made that baby with someone you love."_

_The cashier advised. _

_Nathan just gave the lady a tight smile, and clenched his jaw. He finished paying for his things, and drove home quickly as possible. He had to know if Haley was pregnant or not._

_When he finally arrived home, he found Haley pacing around their bedroom._

_"You're home!" She stated nervously. "Did you get them?"_

_Nathan nodded and handed her the bag. "I bought five. Three of the same ones, and two different ones. I want to know for sure." _

_Haley bit her lip and simply nodded._

_Before she could walk away, Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. "Look, I want you to know that whatever happens, I will always love you, forever. If you're pregnant, then I will be here for you and our baby every step of the way, okay? I'm never going to leave you. I will take full responsibility and I will try to be the best father that I can be. I love you Haley."_

_Haley felt tears rising in the surface of her eyes, and she smiled. "I love you too."_

_Nathan leaned down and pressed a long, sweet kiss on her soft lips. "How long does this take?" He asked._

_"About five minutes." She answered._

_"Do you want me to come in with you, or wait out here?" Nathan asked nervously._

_"I think I should do this alone." Haley said softly._

_Nathan nodded, "Okay." _

_Haley took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and took the five pregnancy tests out. She peed in a small cup, and stuck all five tests in the cup, figuring that would be the easiest way. Once the tests were fully submerged in the urine, she took them out, and placed them on a paper towel to let dry. She paced around the floor, for what felt like five hours. She could hear Nathan pacing on the other side of the door as well. Finally, five minutes was up, and she breathed in deeply. She walked over to the tests, and one by one, she turned them over. All five had the same result. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she could feel her heart aching in her chest. Her legs started to wobble, so she gripped tightly onto the counter tops. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but she didn't want to wait to tell Nathan. She slowly opened the bathroom door, and Nathan stopped pacing._

_Haley stood in the doorway with tears streaming down her face._

_Nathan immediately ran over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace._

_"Shh baby, it's okay, just breathe."_

_"I...I..." She stuttered._

_Nathan hugged her and pulled away. "Don't cry! I told you I'm going to be here for you always and forever. While you were waiting in the bathroom, I started thinking about what it would be like to have a mini you running around, and now I'm really excited. I'm sorry for the way I acted when you first told me. I was a complete ass hole, and it wasn't right. I was just nervous, but now I can't be happier. We're having a baby Hales!" Nathan said with a bright smile on his face._

_Haley looked at him, and felt her heart break. How was she going to tell him, now that he was so happy? Tears were falling like Niagara Falls, and she couldn't stop._

_"Baby, why are you crying?" Nathan asked, his smile faltering. "Are you having second thoughts? I already told you, I'm really happy about this Hales-"_

_"I'm not pregnant." She said barely above a whisper._

_Nathan's eyes widened, "I- I'm sorry? What?"_

_Haley looked away from his bright blue eyes, not being able to look at his sadness. "The tests were all negative, Nathan. I'm so sorry." She cried. "I really thought I was pregnant, and at first I was scarred, but then like you said, I started thinking about us having a baby, and I was so happy. I really believed there was a child inside of me, that we made, and I was so excited. I fell in love with the idea of having a baby, and when the tests said I wasn't pregnant, it felt like a piece of me had died. And when you told me you were happy about it, I got even more upset because it's not even true." She cried, and leaned her face into his shirt, not caring if his shirt was being stained from tears._

_Nathan felt his heart constrict at the words his girlfriend was telling him. He was bummed that Haley wasn't pregnant. He was starting to really love the idea. It was even worse seeing her break down like this. _

_Nathan rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her head. "Are you sure you're not?"_

_Haley nodded, "I took five, and all of them were negative. I guess I just skipped my period from being so stressed."_

_"Why are you stressed?" Nathan asked._

_Haley shrugged, "I don't know. I guess from not seeing you or knowing what's going on with you. I feel like you're shutting me out." She said sadly._

_"I know Hales... I'm sorry." _

_Haley sighed, "I guess everything happens for a reason. Maybe we aren't meant to have a baby right now. I just hate that I got my hopes up."_

_"I know." Nathan said as he tucked a small piece of her hair behind her ear. "We had all that drama for nothing. But you're right. Maybe now isn't the time. It did make me realize that I do want to have babies with you, but it's better to wait until we're settled with our lives more."_

_"Yeah, I guess so." Haley sighed, and crawled into bed. _

_"I guess this means we can practice making more babies when the right time comes." Nathan said suggestively._

_Haley smiled softly. "I just want you to hold me tonight." She said softly._

_"Okay. I can do that." Nathan said firmly. "I love you baby." He said as he curled up next to her and wrapped his arms around her._

_Haley started to cry again when Nathan said 'baby'._

_"Oh god, I'm sorry Haley... I didn't mean it like that."_

_Haley sniffled softly. "It's okay. Goodnight Nathan. I love you." _

_"I love you too Haley James. Always and forever." _

* * *

_The next morning, Nathan made breakfast for Haley in bed, and while they shared a few laughs, and many kisses, he could tell she was really upset about everything that happened to them last night. _

_He could also tell that Haley wanted time alone, so he decided to go for a quick run. He, as well, needed time to clear his head._

_"I'll be back in about an hour." Nathan called from the living room, knowing Haley was still laying in bed._

_"Okay." She replied. "Be safe. Love you!"_

_"I love you too. Call me if you need anything!" He answered, and then made his way out the door, and started jogging his usual route._

_After about twenty minutes Haley decided it was time to get out of bed and do something productive. She slipped on her robe, and shuffle into the kitchen to brew herself a pot of coffee. While the coffee was brewing, she walked outside, and picked up the morning paper that was resting on the front porch. She then plopped down at the kitchen table, coffee in hand, and thumbed through the local paper. She quickly scanned the pages to see if anything was worth reading, and eventually she caught a glimpse of Nathan's name in the sports section. She smiled proudly, loving the fact he would get recognized for his career that he was amazing at and loved doing. Her smile quickly faltered, though, when she started reading it._

**Is Nathan Scott, the newest Laker?**

**After having word from the Charlotte Bobcats that they have decided not to renew Scott's contract, fans have been wondering what team he would pick to play on next. The Lakers have been scouting him for quite a while, and when they heard he was a free agent, they offered him 10 million dollars for two years. A report made from Scott's agent, said that he will most likely be playing for the Lakers, and he will make a press conference tomorrow at noon, to announce his decision to the world. Officials have yet to hear anything from Nathan Scott himself, or his rumored girlfriend, Haley James, teacher at Tree Hill High. **

_Haley starred at the paper, in complete awe. She had absolutely no idea that any of this was even going on. Normally she would have freaked out that her name was in the paper, but for right now she could care less. Because Tree Hill was such a small town, the paparazzi have not been bothering her or Nathan, and press had no clue they were even dating. Nathan and Haley have discussed that at the next main press event, they would tell the world they were together, but for right now, that really did not matter. Haley didn't know whether she wanted to cry or punch something. She was furious, and upset that Nathan would keep this from her. How could he? She squeezed her eyes shut, and placed her head in her hands. A few minutes later, Nathan walked in all sweaty from his run, with a goofy smile on his face. "Honey! I'm home!" He called in a joking matter._

_Haley looked at him with an evil glare. _

_"Is something wrong?" He asked, feeling his heart rate quicken._

_Haley normally would take the time to appreciate the fact that her boyfriend was sweaty and shirtless, and looking insanely hot, but she quickly threw away those thoughts, since she remembered how mad she was._

_"How could you?" She said bitterly._

_"Hales... What's going on?"_

_"I don't know. You tell me." She said as she threw the paper at him._

_Nathan took time to quickly scan the page, and his heart stopped. "Haley... I'm so sorry..."_

_"You should be." She said as she got up and walked to her room, with Nathan hot on her heels. _

_"I wanted to tell you..." He started._

_"Save it. It's too late."_

_"Haley... please!" Nathan begged. "Let me explain."_

_"No Nathan! I can't believe you have been hiding this from me all this time! The worst part is I had to find out from some stupid article in the damn paper! You didn't even tell me..."_

_"Hales..." Nathan strained._

_"Do I even mean anything to you, Nathan? Does this relationship even mean anything anymore?" She cried with a small tear falling slowly down her cheek, and her hands placed firmly on her hips._

_"What? Of course it does. You mean everything to be Haley. You know that!" Nathan defended._

_"Really? Because I don't think I do, considering you never tell me anything anymore. What were you waiting for? Were you just going to make the decision and not tell me, and then leave to go to California? Huh? Was that your plan?" She screamed._

_Nathan put his head in his hands. "No, Haley! I wanted to tell you! I was going to tell you last night, but then the whole baby thing came up..."_

_Haley put her hand up to signal to him to stop talking. She looked at him and another tear rolled down her face. "Yea." She whispered. "I'm glad we aren't pregnant, because at this point I don't even know what we are anymore."_

_Nathan's heart stopped. "Haley, you're my girlfriend. I love you so much!" _

_"...I.. I need to go." Haley said suddenly._

_"What?" Nathan's head shot up."Where are you going?"_

_"I don't know, but I need to be aloe right now." She said as she grabbed her purse, and walked to the front door._

_"Haley, please don't leave me." Nathan begged. 'I can't lose you. You're my whole world." Nathan said with his own tears cascading down his face._

_"You should have thought about that before you were keeping things from me." Haley spat. _

_"Hales! Please don't do this!" Nathan choked. "I can't lose you. I can't!"_

_"Nathan.. stop. I need to go."_

_"Where?"_

_"I don't know." She whispered._

_"When will you be back?" He asked in a tight voice._

_"I don't know."_

_"Are you breaking up with me?" He asked not really wanting to know the answer._

_Haley sighed, and closed her eyes. "No Nathan. I just need time to think, okay? I'm really upset with you."_

_"I'm sorry." He choked. "God, this is like when we were eighteen all over again." Nathan said as he sunk to the floor._

_Haley bit her lip, and wiped the tear from her eye. She then kneeled down next to Nathan, and took her hand in his. "This isn't the end of us. I still love you. Always and forever." She said, and then walked out the door._

_Nathan just sat there dumbstruck, and didn't chase after her. Just like when they were eighteen. Only this time, she was the one who left. _

* * *

**Okay, so please don't hate me! I know you probably are really upset that Naley isn't pregnant, but I needed to do this for drama... I hope I'm not dragging this story on, but I needed this to happen before we get to the happy ending so please bare with me. I promise you Naley will get engaged, and have babies... lol spoiler alert. But I have a really great idea for that, and I am going to make it perfect, and super romantic, and Naley getting pregnant without being married doesn't really appeal to me. Plus I hate when they get pregnant first and then married because then I feel like they were forced to get married, and I had the proposal planned out since chapter one, and I'm super excited! I'm not going to tell you when it will happen, but I promise you it will be very very very very soon. I know this chapter was filled with drama but like I said I needed it before the happy ending. Don't worry Naley is not going to break up! It may seem like it now, but they won't because then what's the point of this story? Hahah! Thanks for reading and tell me what you think. I'll update ASAP. but like I said.. I'm really busy! **


	23. Who You Are Without Me

**Sorry for the long wait. I hope people are still reading because I only got two reviews last chapter... So thank you Anne and Woz1971! But I want everyone to know, even those who don't review- I love you all! I am so grateful for everyone who takes time to review/ read!So seriously, thank you! I've also had other great reviews for the I'm glad I have such loyal readers. I don't know what I'd do without you! Seriously, the reviews give me so much motivation! I was sick all weekend, so instead of doing homework like I should have been doing, I choose to write this chapter. I hope y'all like it! **

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here? It's eleven o'clock at night... and you look like ass." Lucas grumbled as he opened his front door, that revealed a disheveled Nathan.

"I think Haley broke up with me." Nathan said as a small tear escaped from the corner of his eye.

"What?" Lucas asked as his eyes almost bugged out of the sockets. "Get in here man."

Nathan shuffled inside and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"What the hell happened?" Lucas asked as Nathan followed him into the kitchen.

Nathan sighed, and took a seat at the counter top. "She found out that I'm playing for the Lakers..."

"Wait! What? When the hell did this happen? You're playing for the Lakers now?" Lucas asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes- well, no- I don't know. She found out that my contract is up, and the Lakers proposed a deal that I have yet to confirm, but she's upset because I did't tell her, and she found out from the local paper." Nathan explained.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Lucas asked as he poured himself and Nathan a cup of coffee.

"I don't know." Nathan said agitated. "I was stupid, and scared, and now I may have lost the one important thing in my life."

:So let me get this straight..." Lucas said handing Nathan the cup of coffee, "Haley broke up with you for not telling her about the offer?"

Nathan stared intently into his cup of coffee, "Yeah. I guess she was upset that I never told her, and I was keeping things from her-"

"Yeah dude, that was a jackass thing for you to do." Lucas commented.

"I know, okay?" Nathan spat. "I don't know what I was thinking, but I just can't loose her. I love her so much."

"Then why the hell are you here? You should be trying to find her!" Lucas advised. "When did you last see her?"

"This morning." Nathan rolled his eyes, "I know. I came here to see if she was here, but obviously she isn't."

"I'm sorry man. I haven't heard from her all day." Lucas frowned, "So what are you going to do?"

"I have to find her. I need to fix this. I really don't even care about the NBA right now. All I care about is Haley." Nathan said as he got up from the counter and rushed over to the front door.

"Okay, well good luck Nate. I'll call you if I hear from her." Lucas said as he patted his cousin on the back.

"Thanks." Nathan gave him a half smile.

"Go get your girl back." Lucas called after Nathan, as he ran to his car and drove away.

* * *

"Hales, hunny, are you okay?" Quinn asked soothingly as she sat on the bed next to Haley, who just woke up from her nap.

Haley immediately groaned and threw a pillow over her face. "No."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Quinn tried.

Haley shook her head 'no' and crawled back under the covers.

"I think I broke up with Nathan!" Haley sobbed.

"Oh my god! Why?" Quinn exclaimed.

"I don't know! I just miss him."

"Sweetie what happened?"

"He's been keeping the fact that he might be getting traded to the Lakers from me, and I had to find out about in in the god damn newspaper!" Haley mumbled.

"Okay look." Quinn said, 'I know this isn't what you want to hear, but just listen anyway, okay?"

Haley simply nodded.

"Yes, it was a jackass move for Nathan to keep those things from you, but he obviously had a reason, and he loves you so much, he was probably just trying to protect you. And no offense sis, but that was a dumb reason to break up over." Quinn tried to joke.

"Whose side are you on?" Haley spat.

"Yours." Quinn immediately responded. "I'm just saying... did you really want to break up with him?"

Haley sat up a little and sniffled. "Of course not. I love him, Quinn. I love him so much that it hurts! I didn't break up with him, I said I just needed time to think, but now I wish I didn't leave because I miss him, and I need him. I hate fighting. I don't want to break-up!" Haley cried.

Quinn pulled Haley in for a hug, and rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh, it's okay. Everything will be okay."

"I thought I was pregnant." Haley said in a small voice.

Quinn pulled away from the hug, and looked into Haley's water filled eyes. "What?" She strained.

Haley inhaled sharply. "I was late, and I'm never late."

"Does Nathan know?" Quinn asked.

Haley nodded softly. "I told him, and he freaked out. And you know what's funny? I wanted to be pregnant. Yes, I know it's too soon, and we aren't married, or even engaged, but the thought of having Nathan's baby, was the most wonderful feeling in the world." Haley said as she choked back a loud sob.

Quinn kissed her younger sister's hair, and squeezed her tightly. "What happened?"

"He was upset at first, but then he went to the store and bought me six pregnancy tests, but when I took them, they were all negative." Haley said sadly. "He was upset too, because I guess when he thought about it, he got excited. So then, we talked everything out, and agreed to wait for a better time... and we made love-"

"Ew oh my god. My ears. Stop you're my little sister. I don't need to know about that!"

Haley chuckled softly and rolled her eyes, "Sorry, but how can I not? Do you see how sexy he is?" Haley smiled. "I love him even when he get's on my last nerve."

"So you didn't break up?" Quinn asked.

"No, but he thinks we did. I just wish he would come and find me, so we can talk everything through. I hate how we left things-"

"So do I." A strained voice said, causing Haley and Quinn to look over to the door frame.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?" Quinn asked.

"Clay let me in... I hope that's okay." He explained.

"Yeah." Quinn nodded, "I'll just..." She pointed towards the door. "Let me know if you need anything, Hales."

Haley nodded, and Quinn quickly walked through the bedroom door, and shut it behind her.

"Hi." Haley whispered as she looked up at Nathan.

"Hi." Nathan whispered back.

There was a small silence, as the heavy air tensed around them. Nathan's blue eyes bore into Haley's dark brown ones. He could tell she cried all day, considering the whites of her eyes were fire red, and there were deep, dark bags under her eyes.

"I'm sorry." They said at the same time, causing them to smile softly.

"You first." Haley nudged Nathan softly.

Nathan looked into her eyes and grabbed her hand, "First of all, I want to tell you how much I love you. These past six hours have been absolute hell. It made me realize that I can't live with out you. I know I shouldn't have kept secrets from you, and I realize how stupid I was to do that. I was just trying to protect us, because I was worried I'd lose you, but that was stupid of me because in the end, I almost did lose you, and I need you more than you'll ever know. I never want to lose you Haley. And when it comes down to basketball, I will choose what is best for us."

Haley blinked rapidly in order to keep her tears at bay, but failed miserably. Three small tears trickled down her cheek, and Nathan reached out and slowly wiped the tears away with the soft pad of his thumb.

"I love you, Nathan Scott. I'm sorry I over reacted. I shouldn't have freaked out like that." Haley said.

Nathan shook his head, "No, Hales, you had every right to get upset. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I don't want to make sorry excuses, but I'm telling you the truth when I say I was scared. I'm still scared shitless. When I was on the road for the Bobcats, I never had to worry about anyone but myself, but now that you're in the picture, I want to put your needs ahead of mine. It's going to be hard when I'm on the road. I guess I was so wrapped up in enjoying the summer with you, and I kept putting it off because I didn't want to ruin what we had."

"I understand." Haley said as she kissed his lips softly, and pulled away. "Nathan, you don't have to be scared. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, I will be by your side through it all. We will make a decision together, and whatever you chose, I know it'll all be okay, because we're going to be together."

Nathan smiled widely. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Haley smiled back, and pressed her nose against his. "No. _We're_ amazing."

"Yeah, we are, aren't we?" Nathan laughed.

"Always." Haley whispered.

"And forever." Nathan finished, and gently pushed Haley on her back, as he hovered over her and kissed her forcefully.

Haley gave into the kiss, and ran her hands under his shirt.

Nathan groaned into Haley's mouth as he felt her fingertips lightly scratch his back.

"Babe, we need to stop. As much as I love kissing you, we really need to talk about what we are going to do." Nathan said as he reluctantly pulled away from his girlfriend.

"Yeah, you're right." Haley sighed, and sat up, resting her head on Nathan's shoulders.

"So I guess you know the details, right?" Nathan questioned.

Haley nodded, "Yeah. The Bobcats released you, and the Lakers want you, right?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah."

"Aren't the Lakers, like, the best?"

Nathan smiled, "Yeah I guess so."

"So then if they want you- and I know you want to play for them- do it." Haley advised.

"But Hales-"

"Not but's mister." Haley playfully scolded. "You should accept it."

"Do you know what that would mean for us? It'll be like what happened when we were eighteen only this time I'll be in California, and you'd be in North Carolina."

"Baby, I told you I'd move with you to LA. I can find a teaching job there-"

"No! I can't do that to you! Your life is here. Your friends, and family, and your students absolutely adore you. You love Tree Hill. I don't want to take you away from it."

Haley smiled and ran her hand along Nathan's bicep. "I think you're forgetting that I lived in California for four years."

"Yet, you still came back here." Nathan pointed out.

"Because I was alone and I missed my family." Haley said in a weak voice.

"Exactly. You moved back here because it's your home. I don't want to be the person to take you away from everything you love." Nathan said.

Haley continued running her hand up and down his shoulder in attempt to calm him down. She knew he was stressed out.

"But if we go to California, you'll be there with me, so I'll be happy." Haley said trying to shed some light on the situation.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting about the part that I have to travel a lot for away games. Sometimes I'm gone for two weeks at a time, and you'd be all alone. At least if you were here in Tree Hill, you'd have your friends and family."

"But I wouldn't have you." Haley frowned.

Nathan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Exactly."

"So what are you thinking?" Haley asked nervously.

"I think it'll be best if I go to LA and you stay here. We can work a schedule, and I'll come here as much as I can."

"For two years, Nathan?" Haley asked.

Nathan shrugged, "I know. It sucks. I wish there was some other way..."

"I can come to LA, baby."

Nathan shook his head, "Yes, but you don't want to. It's not fair for you."

Haley started to grow angry. She stood up and started to pace the room, "Nathan, I told you. I will go with you wherever you go. I don't want to live with out you!"

Nathan groaned and fell back on the bed. "I don't even want to play for the stupid Lakers."

"I thought you did." Haley said.

Nathan shrugged, "Maybe a few years ago, yeah. But it's different now. I love North Carolina. It's our home. I loved the Bobcats. They were like my second family. If I had a choice I would have never left."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Maybe I can ask Clay to get me to play for another team closer to North Carolina. Maybe Miami Heat?"

"Is that what you really want?" Haley asked.

Nathan sighed, "No. I mean the Lakers are offering great money, but I don't care about that. I just want to play for the Bobcats."

Before Haley could answer, Clay came barging in through the door with a wide smile on his face.

"Clay! What the hell?" Nathan said annoyed.

"Okay, I apologize for eaves dropping, but I think you're going to love me when I tell you the good news I have."

"What is it?" Haley asked hopefully.

"I think I can get Nathan back on the Bobcats."

* * *

_**Next Day: Press Conference-**_

"You ready baby?" Haley asked as she ran her hand over Nathan's knee.

Nathan nodded, "Yeah. I'm ready. Are you?"

"Am I what?" Haley giggled.

"This is our first public appearance together. The paps will go crazy."

Haley gave Nathan a dazzling smile, "Well then I better look look." She joked.

Nathan's eyes appreciatively swept over Haley's body. She wore a simple sleeveless black dress, with a thin white belt under her bust line. Her honey blonde hair was lightly curled, and fell just past her shoulders. Nathan leaned over and whispered in Haley's ear. "Oh you definitely look good, baby. You look so sexy all the time."

Haley blushed profusely, "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." She said seductively as her eyes ran over his charcoal suit, and navy blue striped tie. The suit fit him just perfectly, and showed his muscular features. She bit her lip, and tugged lightly on his tie, "You know, ties kind of turn me on." Haley whispered.

"Oh really?" He flirted back.

Haley nodded, and shifted so that she was now sitting on his lap. "Mhmm."

Nathan smirked and put his hands on her waist to bring her body closer to his. He leaned in and kissed her passionately. Haley's lips parted instantly so Nathan could easily stick his tongue in her mouth. Haley moaned loudly when she felt Nathan's tongue massage hers, She completely forgot Clay and Quinn were also in the limo.

"Oh god! Please stop!" Clay groaned.

"My eyes!" Quinn screeched. "Nathan! You're corrupting my baby sister!"

Nathan didn't stop, but instead, stuck up his middle finger in a joking way.

"Is that any way to treat your agent who got you an amazing deal?" Clay fired back.

Haley giggled against Nathan's lips, and slowly pulled away. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. My man looks damn good in his suit."

Nathan smiled, and kissed her hair.

"I'm scarred for life." Quinn groaned.

"Oh shut up!" Haley laughed. "Like you and Clay don't suck face in front of us."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "At least I don't moan!"

"Okay, we're here!" Clay announced, breaking the sister fight. "You ready, Nate?"

Nathan nodded, "Yeah. I'm ready." He said proudly, as Haley straightened out his tie. "Here we go." Nathan smiled, and grabbed Haley's petite hand as he led her out of the limo. Instantly. Hundreds of cameras starting flashing, and Haley's eyes were blinded by the light. Nathan clasped his arm around her waist to help steady her.

"You okay?" He whispered.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I love you." She said as she looked up into his blue eyes.

"I love you too." Nathan smiled widely. "Thanks for being here for me."

"Always." Haley winked.

Nathan and Haley walked further down the sidewalk, but stopped when reporters started bombarding them with questions.

"Nathan Scott! Over Here!" Someone called.

"Can we get a shot of you and your girlfriend?"

"How long have you been dating?"

"Are you going to pop the question any time soon?"

Nathan laughed at some of the questions, and just continued to smile at the cameras.

"What team are you going to play for?"

"Nathan Scott! Can we please get a quick interview?"

Clay suddenly came up and clasped his hand on Nathan's back. "You have time for one interview, but don't give away too much."

Nathan nodded, and dragged Haley over to one of the eager interviewers.

"Nathan Scott! How are you?" The nerdy interviewer asked as he stuck his hand out for a firm shake.

"I'm great. Thanks." Nathan smiled.

"So the world is dying to know! Is it true you're in a relationship?"

Nathan smirked, and looked down at Haley. "Yes, it's true. This is my beautiful girlfriend, Haley James."

"How did you two meet?"

"We dated for a summer when we were eighteen, but parted our ways. We have mutual friends, and we recently met up again at their wedding. And now I'm lucky to have her back. Haley's the love of my life." Nathan said proudly.

"Wow! Congratulations!" The interviewer smiled.

"Thank you."

"So is there anything you can say about your NBA contract?"

Nathan smiled, "I guess you'll see when I make my press conference."

"Okay. Pleasure to meet you Mr. Scott."

"You too." Nathan nodded.

Suddenly, a security guard led Nathan and Haley into the large building, and guided them backstage.

"Wow that was madness! Sometimes I forget how famous you are." Haley laughed as she sat down on a small chair and drank a bottle of water.

"Yeah it can be overwhelming at times, but I got used to it. Are you okay with it?"

Haley smiled sweetly, "Yea. Thank you. That was sweet what you said about me."

"I just state the truth." Nathan grinned.

"Hey man, you're on in two minutes." Clay said as he walked backstage.

"Okay. Thanks."

"You ready?"

Nathan nodded, "Definitely."

"Okay, so just remember what we talked about, and you'll be fine." Clay advised. "Good luck!"

"Thank you."

Haley could see Nathan was starting to get a little nervous, so she walked over to him and hugged him. "I'm so beyond proud of you." She said sweetly.

"Thank you. That means everything, Hales."

"You're welcome." She said as she kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Mr. Scott. We're ready for you." A lady in all black announced.

"Okay." Nathan said as he took a calming breath,

"Knock 'em dead, baby. You'll do great. I love you." Haley said as she kissed him one last time.

"Thanks Hales. Love you too." He winked, and quickly slapped her behind.

"Hey!" She squealed.

:Sorry. Pregame ritual." He winked back, and she playfully rolled her eyes, and blew him a kiss as he walked onto the stage.

People instantly started screaming and taking pictures. It was a huge event, considering Nathan was one of the top prospects in the NBA.

Nathan cleared his throat, and glanced towards Haley one last time. She was standing next to Clay and Quinn on the corner of the stage. is heart was racing, but he eventually calmed down.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Nathan finally said once the screams died down. "As you know, my Shooting Guard contract for the Charlotte Bobcats has expired, and the Los Angeles Lakers have offered me a 5 million dollar contract for two years. Originally, I was going to accept that generous offer. However, after careful consideration, I have decided to turn them down."

Nathan paused for dramatic effect, and camera flashes started up again, as well as a million questions.

Nathan cleared his throat and began to speak. "Yesterday, my agent, and best friend, Clay Evans, was able to find me a better offer, that I will graciously accept. You see, my amazing girlfriend, Haley James, is here in North Carolina, and I did not want to leave her. We discussed the many options, and together we have decided upon what we think will work best for us. You see, I never wanted to leave the Bobcats. They are like my second family, and I believe they are the best team in the NBA. Unfortunately, my shooting guard position has been filled. But thankfully, my agent was able to pull some strings, and found out that the Bobcats are looking for a new point guard. Now, I am usually a shooting guard, but I am willing to work harder, and make many sacrifices so I can be their point guard. With that said, I will now be the Bobcats newest point guard as of the 2014 season.

"I will humbly accept their fifteen million dollar contract for five years. I'd like to thank Clay Evans for all of his hard work, and for landing me this amazing deal. I want to thank my amazing family; My parents, My uncle keith, aunt Karen, cousin Lucas, and his wife Brooke Davis-Scott. I'd also like to thank the Bobcats coach, Steve Clifford, for accepting me to be back on the team. I'm excited to begin training with my old and new teammates, who have become my second family. There is no doubt in my mind that we will have an amazing season. I believe we can win the championship. I want to thank my loyal fans as well, because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. Finally, I'd like to thank one of the most important people in my life. My perfect girlfriend Haley. She has been by my side through everything, and I truly don't know what I would do with out her. I am blessed that I will be able to be close to her, because I know she is the one for me. After many thoughts and arguments, we have been able to pull through, and everything has worked out. I couldn't be happier. So thank you Haley for always supporting me. I love you." Nathan finally finished his speech, and he looked over to Haley who has tears shedding down her face. He turned his head to the side beckoning her to come onto the stage with him. She happily obliged, and walked into his arms. He picked her up and spun her around, placing a short, yet sweet kiss on her soft lips. He didn't want to show an over dose of PDA, but he couldn't help it. Cameras still were flashing, and people were shouting questions. Clay suddenly walked up to the microphone and announced that Nathan would not be taking any questions, and thanked everyone for coming.

"You did so great Nathan! I am so proud of you! I told you everything would work out." Haley beamed.

"You're right. Everything did work out." Nathan smiled, and saw Clay walk over to him. "I can't thank you enough man, seriously. I owe you."

Clay smiled, "It's no big deal. You two just better stay together." Clay joked.

"Oh we will." Nathan smiled. "I'm never letting go of her."

Haley smiled proudly, and kissed Nathan on the cheek. "Thank you Clay! I get to be closer to Nathan now. You're the best!"

"Hey I thought I was the best!" Nathan pouted.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "You are."

"I think this calls for a celebration!" Clay announced.

"Oh it definitely does." Haley smirked and suggested seductively.

Quinn laughed, "Ew gross! We meant going to dinner!"

"Okay, that's fine, but Nathan and I will be having our own celebration tonight." Haley winked, and Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat. "Damn, I'm the luckiest bastard in the world."

* * *

**I am really proud of the way this chapter turned out! The ending could have been better but I got too lazy and I didn't know what else to write. **

**So as much as I love writing this story, I'm sad to say there will probably be only 3 to four chapters left. I would hate to drag it on. The next two chapters will have huge time jumps, and then it'll be the prologue. So I hope that people are still interested in this story, please review to let me know you are. I worked hard. Thanks xoxo **


	24. Revolving Doors

**I apologize for the long wait. I suck. School is actually taking over my life! I barely have time to breathe! But, tennis ended so now all I have is babysitting, but regardless, I still have very little free time, because homework is never ending, but I made this story a priority and I worked on it all day today. It's now 11:30 PM, so I'll probably be up until 2 am doing homework but it's okay because this story is more important lol.**

**This chapter is kind of a filler (sorry) but it was important because it's leading up to a major event in two chapters... that's all I'll say :p**

**enjoy :) **

* * *

One month later: Nathan's headed to Charlotte to start training for the Bobcats.

"Do you have to go?" Haley pouted as she reluctantly handed Nathan his suitcase.

Nathan sighed and looked around the busy airport, "Yeah, baby, I'm sorry. I'd much rather stay here in Tree Hill with you." Nathan said as he gently grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to his body.

"I don't want you to go." Haley said as she looked into his crystal blue eyes. "Can't I come with you?"

Nathan smirked, "As nice as that sounds, you know you have to stay here. You start teaching again tomorrow. Aren't you excited?"

Haley shrugged, "I guess a little, but I'm really going to miss you." Haley whispered against Nathan's lips.

Nathan instantly leaned in, and kissed Haley's lips passionately. He never wanted to pull away, but he had to when air became an issue. He groaned at the loss of contact. "Oh god, I'm gonna miss you too."

Haley giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you Nathan Scott."

"I love you too, Haley James. Always and forever."

He leaned in for another sweet kiss, not caring who was watching. After several seconds, an announcement came on the airport loudspeaker, that broke the couples sweet kiss.

"Attention all passengers. Flight 2308 to Charlotte, North Carolina, is now boarding."

This time is was Haley's turn to groan. "I don't know how I'm going to survive with out you."

Nathan chuckled, "It's only for a week, babe. I'll be home next Saturday."

Haley blinked rapidly in attempt to hold back her tears. "I know, but I'm really going to miss you."

"Me too." Nathan whispered.

"I wish I lived in Charlotte." Haley pouted.

Nathan smiled, "I'm only there for about three weeks for pre-season training, and then I'll be in a different city each night. It's only for about four months, and when I get home, But I'll make sure to come home as much as I can, and you know I still have my apartment in Charlotte, so feel free to visit whenever you want." He explained.

Haley smiled widely, "I'm going to watch every single one of your games on TV, and I will try to make it to every home game. I have to cheer for my favorite player." She winked.

"Yeah? Who's your favorite?" Nathan flirted.

"Tony Battle." Haley joked.

Nathan playfully scoffed, "That's mean."

"You know I'm kidding, babe. I have your jersey number on my back. Obviously I'm your number one groupie." Haley whispered in a sultry voice.

Nathan's eyes widened and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "You're killing me James."

"What are you going to do without me?" Haley joked.

"I don't know but we'll have a lot of phone sex." Nathan said seriously.

Haley pulled away and her jaw dropped. "Nathan!" She scolded.

"What?" He chuckled.

"No way! I'm not doing that!"

"I guess I'll just have to look at that naughty picture that I took of you." He winked.

Haley's cheeks reddened. "I thought you deleted that!"

"Never." Nathan smirked.

"Oh my god! I hate you!" Haley groaned.

"That sucks, because I kind of love you." Nathan said as he rested his chin on top of her head.

Haley squeezed him tightly, "I love you too, please don't go!"

Just then another announcement came from the loud speaker, "Last call, for flight 2308. The gate will be closing in two minutes. Last call, flight 2308 to Charlotte, North Carolina."

"Trust me, I don't want to go, but I have to. I'm sorry." Nathan said as he looked into Haley's deep brown eyes, that were now filled with water.

"This is so hard." She whispered.

"It'll get better. I promise." Nathan said softly. "This isn't goodbye. We'll make this work. I'll call you every single day, and we can video chat. I;ll see you Saturday, okay? Please don't cry." Nathan said as he gently wiped away her tears.

Haley nodded softly, and hugged him one last time. "Have a safe flight."

"Hey, listen to me Haley James. Don't be upset. It's not like we're breaking up. I'll be gone for a week, I bet you'll barely notice I'm even gone." He joked. "When the season is over, I'll be back in Tree Hill, and we can buy a house together. Does that sound like a good deal for you?" He smiled.

Haley's eyes lit up, and her smile widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Your apartment is nice and everything, but I think we should have a house that we can design together. Plus it'll give us something to look forward too."

"I love that idea!" Haley gushed. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I, but Hales, I really gotta go. I'm sorry. I love you." He said looking into her eyes one last time.

"I love you too! Have a safe flight, and call me when you land." She said in a stern tone.

"I will." Nathan promised, and kissed her deeply one last time. He pulled away and kissed her forehead really quickly. "Always."

"And forever." Haley finished, and kept her eyes closed. She wanted this all to be a bad dream, and when she opened her eyes he'd still be here, except when she did open her eyes, she saw Nathan running toward the gate, and boarded his plane.

She walked over to the glass window and watched as his plane took off, and a slow tear rolled down her face. She didn't know why she was crying, because like Nathan said- she'd see him in a week. A small part of her was scared that her and Nathan won't make it through the long distance relationship, but a bigger part of her, believed they could. After all, they were soul mates.

* * *

Nathan was right, time flew for both he and Haley. The new school year started, so Haley was busy teaching her high school students. Nathan, was also busy practicing with the Bobcats, and learning how to play point guard. He kept his promise, and he called Haley every single day, three times a day. Once in the morning when she woke up, once during her lunch break, and right before bed. Sometimes they even video chatted. Texts would be exchanged all day, but with time in between, considering they were very busy.

It was now Friday, and Haley was teaching her eighth period English class, and couldn't help her excitement. Tomorrow Nathan would be home for the weekend, and she couldn't wait.

She was in the middle of writing the homework on the board, when suddenly her phone started ringing. She mentally cursed herself for not turning off the ringer, because she tended to get mad when her students used their phones during class.

"Sorry guys, I forgot to turn this off." Haley excused, and quickly glanced down at the screen. Her heart rate instantly quickened. It was Nathan. She couldn't help but think the worse. He never called her during the day, he knew she was working.

"I'm sorry class, I need to answer this. Please continue reading." Haley announced.

"Hello?" Haley answered in a panicked voice.

"Hey." Nathan casually said into the phone. "I miss you."

Haley furrowed her brows. "I miss you too, Nathan. Is everything okay?"

Nathan laughed, "Yeah. Why?"

"I'm in the middle of teaching. I got nervous when I saw you called, I thought something was wrong." Haley said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry." Nathan apologized. "I must have read the clock wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice"

Haley giggled softly, "It's fine, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Hales. I love you." Nathan replied.

"I love you too, bye babe." Haley said, and quickly hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" One of Haley's students asked as he looked up from his book.

Haley smiled softly, "Not that it's any of your business, Mikey, but it was my boyfriend."

"Aw!" One of the girls in the front shouted. "You have a boyfriend?"

Haley blushed, "Yeah."

"What's his name?" Someone else asked.

"Nathan." Haley replied.

"Why'd he call?" Quentin asked.

Haley crossed her arms over her chest and gave them a stern look. "What's with all of the questions?"

"Aw c'mon Miss. James, it's the first week of school! We're just trying to get to know you better." Mikey explained.

Haley glanced at the clock. There was about five minutes left remaining in the period. "Okay, you can ask me some questions, but that means you have to finish this chapter over the weekend." Haley negotiated.

The students all agreed, and eagerly started shouted questions at her.

"What's your boyfriends last name?" A girl named Carly asked.

Haley laughed, "And why would you want to know that?"

"Because if you get married, it will be your new last name."

Haley bit her lip, "Well we've only been dating for about five months, so it'll be a while before that happens."

"Are you going to get married?" Someone else asked.

Haley chuckled, and sat down on top of her desk, "Hopefully one day, but probably not anytime soon."

"What does he do for a living?" Mikey asked.

"I thought you guys wanted to learn about me. What's with all the questions about my boyfriend?" Haley laughed.

"Because we didn't know you had a boyfriend." Lisa announced.

"Well yes, I may be an English teacher, and I'm sure you probably all assumed I go home and feed my twenty three cats, but no I am not the 'typical' English teacher, because yes- I have a boyfriend- and no, I do not have cats." Haley joked.

"Is he hot?" Another girl asked.

Haley laughed loudly, and ran a hand through her hair. "I would say so."

"Can we see a picture of him?" Someone else asked.

"What? You guys think I'm making him up?" Haley joked.

"No, I believe you, but I just want to make sure he's hot." Lisa said.

"Yeah, you're so pretty! You deserve to be with someone hot!" Lisa's friend, Annie, shouted.

Haley giggled, and picked up her phone. She pressed the home button on her iPhone and showed her students her lock screen photo. It was a picture of her and Nathan at the beach this summer.

Nathan had his arm around Haley, who was kissing his cheek, while Nathan had a wide smile on his was shirtless, wearing his blue and white plaid bathing suit trunks, and Haley had on a white sundress.

"Oh my god! He's so hot!" Olivia shouted.

"Whoa!" Lisa exclaimed.

"You guys are so cute together!" Annie gushed.

Haley smiled, "Thank you."

"Wait, is that Nathan Scott?" A boy in the back asked.

Haley bit down on her lip.

"Holy crap, Miss. James! Your boyfriend's Nathan Scott?" Mikey shouted loudly.

Haley cleared her throat. "Yes he is." She said with a cheeky smile.

"Who's Nathan Scott?" Julie asked.

"He plays for the Charlotte Bobcats!" Mikey exclaimed excitedly. "He's like, the best!"

"Oh my god! I remember watching the press conference! You were the girl he was kissing! I was so jealous! He's gorgeous!" A student named Sara announced.

Haley chuckled, "Yeah, that was me. Sorry." She said wrinkling her nose.

"Can he come and visit one day?" Mikey asked. "He's my idol!"

Haley smiled, and slid off the desk. "I think I can arrange that."

"There's not way your dating him!" Veronica said bitterly.

"Shut up Veronica! You're just jealous!" Lisa spat back.

"Can you call him on speaker right now?" Mikey asked.

Haley laughed, "Why?"

"Yeah! Because I still don't believe you." Veronica stated.

"Yeah! Please?" Jason begged.

Haley bit down on her lip, "Okay, I guess so." She relented and quickly dialed his number.

After about three rings, Nathan finally answered.

"Hey sexy." He said, and Haley blushed profusely, and mentally scolded herself for putting him on speaker, and her entire class heard him say that.

Haley cleared her throat, "Um, hi, your on speaker." She said in a nervous voice.

"Who's there?" Nathan chuckled into the phone.

"My eighth period English class. They couldn't believe I was dating THE Nathan Scott, Charlotte Bobcats point guard." Haley said in a dramatic voice.

"Well it's true. Miss. James is my girlfriend." Nathan said into the phone. "So, you boys better not try and pull anything. I know what it's like to be a teenage boy, and considering Miss. James is the hot English teacher-"

"Okay, babe! That's enough!" Haley said quickly interrupting him. "I just wanted you to say hello, not give them a speech."

"Sorry." Nathan apologized.

"You're my role model!" Mikey shouted.

"That was Mikey. The boy I was telling you about. He plays shooting guard for the Ravens." Haley explained.

Nathan recalled that when he called to see how Haley's first day was, she told him all about her classes, and how this one boy reminded her of him. He also heard that in one of her first period classes, a boy was hitting on her, he was definitely not happy about that. He wished he was still in Tree Hill so he could beat up every little punk who even looked a her. Haley of course laughed when he had said that, even though he was being one hundred percent serious. Haley said he was being dramatic and had nothing to worry about, because she was all his, which Nathan planned on that being forever. He couldn't wait to call Haley his wife, but he had a plan in his head since he was eighteen, and it would be a while before he could carry through with it. He was fortunate for his large sum paycheck from being in the NBA. He had already planned what the engagement ring would look like, but it would take a few months until it would be made. Nathan wanted it to be perfect, and one of a kind for his girl. Haley had no idea Nathan was scheming all of this, and it was a good thing he was in Charlotte, so the risk of her finding out was extremely low.

"Oh nice." Nathan said impressed. "I'll have to stop by and catch a game next time I'm in town."

"Yeah! Can you come and visit one day?" Julie asked.

"If it's okay with Hale- I mean, Miss. James, then yeah, sure, I'd love to." Nathan responded.

"Okay." Haley smiled, "The bell is about to ring. I'll call you later, Nathan."

"Okay, have a good day baby. Love you."

"Love you too, bye." Haley said and quickly hung up from the phone call.

"Awe! That was cute!" Lisa gushed.

"I still can't believe it! How come you never told us you were dating Nathan Scott?" Mikey asked as he gathered up his books from underneath his desk.

Haley shrugged and gave him a small smile, "Well I like to keep my life private."

"You can trust us though." Mikey smirked.

Haley smiled and glanced at the clock, "Okay, we have about a minute left. Any more questions?"

"Is Nathan a good kisser?" Annie asked.

Haley's mouth dropped open, and she folded her hands over her chest, "Is that really an appropriate question?"

"Sorry... I'm just curious. It's not everyday you have a teacher ho's dating a celebrity!"

"Well Nathan is different than the media portrays him to be. When I'm with him, he's just Nathan Scott. Sometimes I forget he plays in the NBA." Haley shared.

"Do you miss him?" Carly asked shyly.

Haley frowned, "Yeah. I do. He's only been gone for a few days, but I really miss him."

"When's he coming back?" Mikey asked.

"Tomorrow." Haley said as her frown turned into a giant smile.

"Awesome! Will he be in town Monday too?"

Haley sighed, "No, unfortunately he'll be gone for the next two weeks for training, and then he'll be traveling a lot for his games. Hopefully he'll be able to drive home for a night or two."

"How'd you meet him?" Mikey asked. "I mean no offence or anything, but usually professional basketball players date like models and stuff."

Haley bit her lip, and swallowed hard. That was always one of her biggest insecurities. Nathan would obviously tell her she was far more beautiful than any model he's ever seen, but she would always feel insecure. All of Nathan's teammates were all married to actresses, singers, and models, and here she was- teaching high school English in small town Tree Hill. However, when Nathan looked at her with his deep, lusty blue eyes- especially right before they made love- was when she felt her best. Nathan had a way of making her feel beautiful, sexy, and confident. It was times like this, though, when people would point out how she was not a model, made her feel in superior.

"Uh well, actually, we met on vacation when we were eighteen, and dated for the summer before college. We lost touch, but we saw each other a few months ago at our friend's wedding, and long story short, we reconnected and now we're back together." Haley said with a cheeky smile.

The class suddenly looked up, as they heard a soft knock on the class room door. It was one of Haley's student's from last year, named Quentin Fields.

"Hey Miss. J. Are you talking about Nathan Scott?" He asked with a knowing smirk.

Haley glanced toward the door and smiled, "Quentin Fields, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

"I'm a senior now, and plus I had an out period, I got back early." Que explained. "I heard you were dating Nathan Scott, and I had to see if it were true."

Haley couldn't help but smile, "Yes, it's true."

"You know, I'd like to take credit for you guys. I was in this classroom when he came and asked you out, but I'm pretty sure you turned him down. What happened?" Que asked.

Haley laughed, "It's a long story, but all that matter's now is that we're together."

"Congratulations!" Que smiled. "Is he ever going to come and visit?"

"Hopefully one day." Haley answered as she played with her infinity necklace that Nathan gave her for her birthday.

"Let me guess.. he bought that for you?" Quentin asked with a smirk.

Haley nodded, "Yeah, for my birthday this summer."

Just then, the bell signalling the end of the period rang, and the students flooded out of her classroom.

"Bye guys! Have a good day!" Haley called after them.

"Bye Miss. J! Say hi to Mr. Scott for us." Lisa said with small smirk.

Haley chuckled, "Okay, see you Monday."

"I gotta go, Miss. James. I'll talk to you soon. I'm glad you and Nathan worked everything out." Quentin said genuinely.

"Thanks Que." Haley smiled, and packed up her belongings. Luckily, she didn't have a class ninth period, so she was able to go home early. She wanted to get everything ready for when Nathan would come home tomorrow morning.

* * *

Nathan dribbled the orange rubber ball down the gym, and sped down to the basket. He hopped on the tips of his toes, and soared through the air, as he hung onto the rim and threw the ball through the net. His team mates clapped loudly, and his coach smiled as he blew his whistle.

"Alright boys! Bring it in!" Nathan's coach called. "Great practice today. I'm really liking the way the team is looking. We still have drills we need to run through, but other than that, I'm really proud of you guys. I'm confident we're going to go all the way this year-"

He was suddenly cut off when he heard a cell phone ringing loudly.

Nathan was guzzling a bottle of water, and mentally slapped himself for forgetting to silence his phone.

"Guys, I told you no phones in the gym. Leave it in the locker room!" The Bobcat coach scolded.

"Sorry coach." Nathan said in a weak voice.

"Scott! I already gave you a warning this morning. Don't make me confiscate your phone. You're at work, this isn't a joke."

"I know, I'm sorry. It's probably my girlfriend-" Nathan said with a small smile.

"You're so whipped!" Tony Battle- one of Nathan's team mates joked.

Nathan laughed, "Whatever man, you wouldn't understand."

CJ Jones, another one of Nathan's teammates started puckering his lips. "Your such a pansy, dude."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You're just jealous. Haley's perfect."

"She seems needy. You should dump her ass." Austin Wellerman advised.

"No way! We just miss each other. We're still getting used to this whole long distance thing-"

"How cute!" CJ joked.

Nathan was about to shove him, but the coach quickly intervened. "Alright guys. Enough! Scott, I need to see you in my office. Everyone else, good job. I'll see you guys Monday 8 am sharp."

Nathan sighed deeply, and gathered his belongings as he walked over to his coach's office. He waited patiently for a few minutes, and decided to call Haley while he was waiting.

"Hello?" Haley answered after about two rings.

"Hey. What's up?" Nathan asked.

"Oh not much, just cooking dinner. What about you?"

"Just finished practice. What are you making?" Nathan asked.

"Mac 'n' Cheese." Haley giggled into the phone.

Nathan smiled, "You better save me some tomorrow."

"No promises." Haley replied. "So what are you doing tonight?"

"Probably just going to chill in my apartment. I have an early flight tomorrow, so I don't want to make it a late night."

Haley breathed excitedly into the phone, "I can't wait to see you!"

"Me neither." Nathan said, feeling his heart start to race at the thought. "I miss seeing your beautiful face."

"I miss you too." Haley said softly.

"So what about you, what are you going to do tonight?" Nathan asked curiously.

"I think I'm going to Brooke's for a girls night. Luke's in New York for a meeting with his publisher, so Brooke and I are just going to sulk around about how much we miss our guys." Haley laughed.

Nathan chuckled deeply, "Sounds fun, but hey, I gotta go. My coach wants to talk to me, so I'll try to Skype you later, alright?"

"Okay. Is everything okay?" Haley asked nervously.

Nathan bit his lip as he saw his coach walk into his office. "Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, love you, Hot Shot."

Nathan laughed quickly, "Love you too, bye." He said pressed 'End Call' and quickly placed his phone in his shorts pocket.

"Let me guess... that was your girlfriend?" Coach Clifford asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Nathan couldn't help but smile. "Yeah."

Mr. Clifford took a seat across Nathan and sighed. "Look, Nathan, I know what it's like to be in love, but is Miss. James going to be a distraction this season, because if she is-"

"No, no, coach, Haley's not a distraction. I'm sorry, I know I've been texting and calling her a lot during practice, but it was just for this week because it was the first week away from her. I promise I'll try to be better with it next week." Nathan explained.

"Alright, that's fine. I'm happy for you Scott. I know how you used to be with women, and I can tell you really love Haley. Hold on to her, alright? Don't screw this up. And she better not start distracting you. You're one hell of a player, but if you start getting all love sick on me now..."

Nathan laughed, "I can assure you Coach, that my skills will not wane. If anything, Haley pushes me and inspires me to be a better player. I am determined to make it to the Championship this year, and I think we can do it."

"Good. Now that's what I like to hear." Coach Clifford said with a smile. "Now get out of here." He said in a fake stern voice.

Nathan smirked, and shook his coaches hand as he made his way back to the locker room. He wanted to get back to his apartment so he could skype Haley and talk to her more about her day. Nathan opened his locker and smiled when he saw the pictures of him and Haley taped on the door. One picture was of them sitting on the couch with his arm wrapped snugly around her, and she had her hand on his cheek, while they both had giant smiles on their faces. The other picture was just of Haley, and she was blowing him a kiss. The last picture was of him and Haley when they were eighteen. He was carrying Haley bridal style on the beach, and she was laughing, and no idea Lucas was even taking the picture. Nathan was looking down at her, and was laughing too. Nathan smiled as he remembered that moment:

* * *

_"Nathan! Put me down!" Eighteen year old, Haley screamed._

_"I'm gonna throw you in the water!" Nathan said with a cocky smirk._

_"Don't you dare!" Haley said sternly. "I swear I will hurt you!"_

_"Oh yeah?" Nathan challenged. "You weigh like forty pounds, babe! I don't think you can hurt me."_

_Haley scowled playfully, and tried to squirm out of her boyfriends grasp, but his hold was too strong. "Dammit Nate!" _

_"You're so sexy in this purple bikini!" Nathan whispered, sending chills up and down Haley's back, despite the temperature was 98 degrees out._

_"Thanks." Haley blushed, and popped a sweet kiss on Nathan's cheek._

_Nathan smirked, and started to spin her around in circles. _

_"You're making me dizzy!" Haley laughed wildly._

_"I'm trying to be romantic."_

_"How is this romantic?" Haley continued to laugh._

_"We're dancing on the beach." Nathan said as he was stating the obvious._

_"This isn't dancing!" Haley giggled. "There's not even music!"_

_Nathan then started to hum the lyrics to "Beat This Summer" by Brad Paisley, but since he was completely tone deaf, it was far from sounding like the actual song. _

_**Like the Ferris wheel goes around and around**_  
_**Well the trouble with up is there's always a down**_  
_**First I'm holding your hand and we're on the boardwalk**_  
_**There's heaven right here on these streets and these docks**_

_**But the sun keeps settin', the days go fast**_  
_**And the sand on the beach is like an hourglass**_  
_**I can just feel it all slipping away**_  
_**And babe I can already say that**_

_**As long I live, whatever I do**_  
_**As great as it is, you know what's a bummer**_  
_**I ain't ever gonna beat this summer with you**_  
_**Baby it's true**_  
_**The taste of your kiss is so bittersweet**_  
_**I ain't gonna beat, no way I'm gonna beat this summer with you**_

_**Before you know it it's all gonna stop**_  
_**They'll be rolling up windows and puttin' up tops**_  
_**Be a cold wind blowin' the leaves through the air**_  
_**And you won't find a tan line anywhere (anywhere)**_

_**Baby I know that it ain't over yet**_  
_**So let's make the most of what we have left**_  
_**But it's hard living for this moment we're in and**_  
_**Knowing it's all gonna end…**_

_**As long I live, whatever I do (Whatever I do)**_  
_**As great as it is, you know what's a bummer**_  
_**I ain't ever gonna beat this summer with you**_  
_**Baby it's true**_  
_**The taste of your kiss is so bittersweet**_  
_**I ain't gonna beat, no way I'm gonna beat this summer with you**_

_**Yeah looking at you, girl, standing there**_  
_**Got your wayfarers on and the sun in your hair**_  
_**And just like the song in a seashell, you'll be stuck in my mind**_  
_**Bouncing around in my head**_  
_**And baby I can tell**_

_**As long I live, whatever I do (Whatever I do)**_  
_**As great as it is, you know what's a bummer**_  
_**I ain't ever gonna beat this summer with you**_  
_**Baby it's true**_  
_**The taste of your kiss is so bittersweet**_  
_**I ain't gonna beat, no way I'm gonna beat this summer with you**_

_Haley started to laugh even more, feeling it harder to breathe. Nathan was the worst singer she's ever heard, but he was so damn cute! _

_"What? You think it's funny?" Nathan laughed, completely unaware that Lucas was snapping pictures of the couple, a few feet away._

_"Yes!" Haley cackled loudly and clutching her stomach tightly._

* * *

Nathan smiled as he remembered that day at the beach. It was one of the moments he would never forget. He didn't know why, because it was nothing special. He and Haley were just being typical teenagers, but he'd never forget the way he felt. It was like nothing else in the world existed. It was just he and Haley in their own little world. He wished that moment could last forever. It was perfect,

Nathan was pulled out of his memoir when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked down at saw that Haley had texted him.

_"When are you up for a skype date? :)"_

Nathan smiled, and quickly texted his reply, _"Give me about fifteen minutes... I'm still at the gym"_

_"Okay :) Can't wait to see you! 3"_

Nathan laughed and sent another smiley face. Haley always texted him those emoji things on the iPhone. She thought they were "so adorable".

After about ten minutes, Nathan finally made it back to his apartment. He heated up a microwave pizza for himself, and quickly changed into something more comfortable. Once was was sitting down at his kitchen bar, he set up his laptop, and texted Haley he was ready for skype.

A minute later, he noticed that Haley logged on, and he eagerly clicked on her name, so that the video chat could be connected.

His stomach was filled with butterflies when he saw her face on his computer screen.

"Hi baby." He said with a huge ass smile on his face. God he missed his girl. How badly he wanted to reach out, and kiss her soft pink lips.

"Hi!" Haley said with just as much eagerness in his voice. "Are you shirtless?" She asked with a smile.

Nathan looked down, "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to put a shirt on. Oops." He smirked.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Ugh, are you trying to kill me? You're so damn sexy!"

Nathan laughed, and starred intently at the screen. "I can say the same for you."

Haley was in her bedroom, getting ready to go to Brooke's, and she was currently applying mascara on her eyelashes. She glanced at her screen and gave Nathan a dazzling smile. "Well I have to look good for my boyfriend. Last night, I looked like a mess, I'm kind of glad you weren't here to witness it." She laughed.

Nathan smiled, "I'm sure you looked beautiful. You always too."

Haley blushed, and gave him a sweet smile. "Dammit Nathan, I really want to kiss you!"

Nathan smirked and took a large bite of his pizza. "Good. Tomorrow I'm going to kiss you all day. We have a lot of time to make up for." He said with a lusty look in his blue eyes.

Haley bit her lip, and looked away from the screen.

"Hales, what's wrong?" Nathan asked as he noticed her change of emotions.

"I'm on my period." Haley said guilty.

Nathan chuckled, "Okay, so?"

Haley ran a frustrated hand through her hair, "It means we can't make love!" She said angrily.

Nathan frowned, "Oh."

"I'm sorry... I know we've been looking forward to seeing each other." Haley said softly.

Nathan gave Haley a sweet smile, "Hey, it's okay. I'm not worried about it. I just want to be with you and hold you."

"God, I love you so much!" Haley said as she fell back on her bed.

Nathan chuckled, "I love you too, Haley James."

"So how was your meeting with your coach?" Haley asked as she hugged Nathan's pillow.

Nathan shrugged, "Pretty good, I guess. He just kind of lectured me for always being on my phone, and then he asked me if yo were a distraction."

Haley's jaw dropped, ad she had her hand over her face. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry-"

"It's cool." Nathan chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault-"

"Yes it is! I shouldn't have texted you all those times... Everyone probably thinks I'm a psychotic girlfriend."

"No they don't." Nathan laughed. "And who cares what they think. I know you're not a psycho, you just miss me. I know, because I miss you too."

"You have no idea how excited am to see you!" Haley said giddily.

"Believe me, I do. I just want to kiss you!" Nathan said flirtatiously.

"Me too." Haley sighed.

"So what was up with your class wanting to call me?" Nathan laughed.

"Oh!" Haley suddenly sat up and smiled. "Okay, so you know how you called me in the middle of class? Well I hung up, and all of my students started asking who it was, so I told them it was my boyfriend- which led to like a million other questions-"

Nathan laughed, "Like what?"

"They wanted to know your last name, and what you did for a living." Haley laughed. "I let them ask me questions, but some how all the questions were pertained to you!"

Nathan smirked, "What can I say? The world loves me."

"I don't." Haley deadpanned.

Nathan's jaw dropped, "You're so mean to me!"

Haley giggled, "I'm kidding. You know I love you more than anyone." She winked.

"Nice reference to our song." Nathan smiled.

"Nathan Scott! Come home right now!" Haley groaned.

"Impatient much?" Nathan joked.

"Extremely!" Haley whined. "So yeah, anyway, my students were like obsessed with knowing about you, so I showed them the picture of us on the beach this summer, and this one boy, Mikey, recognized you, so everyone started asking even more questions. And one girl didn't believe me, so I called you."

"She didn't believe you? What a bitch!" Nathan replied.

Haley playfully narrowed her eyes at Nathan. "Don't talk badly about my students, Nathan. It's not nice."

"Sorry, babe. Is that kid in your morning class still hitting on you, because if he is, I'm gonna go there and hunt him down, and he will be sorry he ever even looked at you!" Nathan threatened.

"No, and as much as I love you for being all protective and sexy, you're not allowed to do that." Haley said with a smile.

Nathan huffed. "Ugh. I hate that you teach high school boys. You know you're probably the subject of all their wet dreams?"

"Nathan! That's disgusting!" Haley screamed.

"Well then you should teach first graders. All the boys think girls have cooties, and they drool and spit up."

Haley rolled her eyes, "Nathan, you're being ridiculous."

"It's true! You're so sexy Hales. It's impossible to look past it! Plus you're a teacher... I fantasize about having you on your desk every night. I can't even imagine what those sick freaks think-"

"Okay babe, that's enough!" Haley said covering her ears. "You're so gross!"

Nathan smirked, "What? As if you haven't thought about doing it on the desk with me."

"Okay.. maybe once." Haley blushed.

"Damn." Nathan gave her a satisfied smirk. "That's hot."

"Okay... anyway... you can't kill every boy that looks at me!" Haley pointed out.

"Why not?"

"Because they have to look at me! I'm their teacher."

"Yeah but-"

"Not but's." Haley said sternly. "And besides, you should be lucky I'm a teacher. If I was a model, I'd probably be naked all day while other men were taking pictures of me."

Nathan's eyes widened instantly, "Oh hell no! You're not allowed to do that. Ever!"

Haley laughed, "Good, so I rest my case."

Nathan just playfully rolled his eyes, as he took a swig of his red gatorade.

"And besides," Haley continued, "Women are around you all the time! You're like the sexiest guy ever, how do you think I feel when they're practically pouncing on you!"

"You have nothing to worry about. They have absolutely nothing on you."

Haley crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, "I just don't trust women, that's all."

"Well you'll be happy to know, I haven't been to a bar or party any night this week. I come home every night and call my loving girlfriend." Nathan said with a big smile.

Haley smiled back. "Nathan, just because we're together doesn't mean you can't go to a bar or party. I trust you, and you're allowed to have fun. I'm not that needy!"

Nathan laughed, 'No, I know, I just have no desire for those things any more. Besides, I'm usually exhausted after practice, so I like to come home and talk to you."

"You're the sweetest." Haley cooed.

Nathan laughed. "Thanks."

"Okay, well I hate to leave you, but I need to go to Brooke's now. I'll text you though. Okay?" Haley stated.

Nathan nodded, "Alright, that sounds good. Have fun, babe. I love you, and I'll see you in about thirteen hours."

Haley's heart started to race. "I can't wait!"

"Me neither! Bye Hales."

"Bye." Haley said softly, and blew him a quick kiss.

Nathan waved, and hung up the video call. He sighed deeply, knowing it would be a long, painful thirteen hours.

* * *

"Put your phone away!" Brooke scolded.

"I'm sorry, I just miss him!" Haley whined.

"Okay, I miss Lucas, but you don't see me texting him every three seconds! Besides, you're seeing Nathan tomorrow!" Brooke said sternly.

Haley sighed and looked down at her phone, and instantly started to giggle.

"Ugh, you guys are worse than me and Luke!" Brooke gagged. "What the hell are you giggling about?"

"Just an inside joke." Haley said simply, as she typed out a reply to his text.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You guys are sickly adorable."

"I thought you were team Naley." Haley joked.

"I am, but not when they're acting like love sick puppies."

"Alright, I'm sorry! I'll stop texting him... for now."

"Good! Thank you!" Brooke smiled. "I need to tell you something really important."

Haley placed her phone on the coffee table, and looked up at Brooke. "Okay, what's up?"

"Broody and I are trying to-" Brooke stopped what she was saying when she noticed Haley's phone buzz.

"Sorry!" Haley said as she bit her lip, and went to reach for the phone, but Brooke got it first.

"Okay, I'm telling him he needs to get a life!" Brooke said as she unlocked Haley's phone. Figures the pass code, was Nathan and Haley's anniversary.

"Brooke!" Haley whined.

Brooke was about to text Nathan, but instantly threw Haley's phone on the phone and started to scream. "OH MY GOD! I'M SCARED FOR LIFE!"

Haley gave Brooke a funny look, and picked up her phone. Her face instantly turned a crimson red.

"You two are sick!" Brooke ranted. "I can't believe this!"

"Brooke, it's not that bad.." Haley said shyly.

"Not that bad? He's practically naked! EW!" Brooke said over dramatically.

Haley bit her lip and glanced at the message one last time. Nathan sent her a picture of himself in just his 'tented' boxers, with the caption "Thinking about you". Okay so maybe it was a little R rated, but it could be worse... at least he had his boxers on!

"See! That's why you shouldn't touch my phone!" Haley said in an embarrassed voice.

"I can't believe you guys sext!" Brooke pointed out. "That's a new level for you Haley James."

"We don't do that! This was the first time he ever did something like this! Trust me! I'm going to kill him tomorrow." Haley said in a shaky voice.

"Yeah right, you secretly love it." Brooke smirked. "Don't worry your secret's safe with me."

"Okay, you know what? Let's change the topic. Can you tell me what you were about to say?"

"Okay, well speaking of.. that..." Brooke laughed as she pointed to Haley's phone. "Lucas and I are trying to get pregnant." She said with a cheeky smile.

Haley instantly jumped up and ran over to her best friend, and screamed happily. "Oh my gosh! Brooke that's great! I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks!" Brooke said with a wide smile. "We know it's still early, but we're ready. I love babies!"

"Aw Brooke! This is so exciting!"

"I know! I talked to my Gyno, and she said it'll probably take a few months, but we really want this." Brooke gushed.

Haley hugged Brooke one more time. "Aw good for you! You'll be a great mom."

"I hope so." Brooke said. "So what about you? I heard about your almost baby drama. How'd that go?"

Haley sighed deeply, and she ran a hand through her hair. "It was definitely a scary time for Nathan and I. I can tell he's not ready, and neither am I, but the thought of having a baby with him one day... it just warms my heart. I love him more than I ever thought possible. I want to have all of his babies. Just... God... I love him! It scared me, but at the same time, I was so excited by the idea."

"Aw Hales! That's so sweet! You and Nathan really are perfect together." Brooke smiled.

Haley sighed and gave Brooke a soft smile. "Yeah, I'm just worried about this whole long distance thing. Especially, if one day we do have a family... I'm going to have to raise the baby by myself for a few months."

"You won't be by yourself, though. You'll have me, and Karen, your mom, Quinn, Luke... and you know Nathan will try to be here as much as possible."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't even know why I'm stressing about this. We're not even married!" Haley laughed humorlessly.

"Do you want to? Be married I mean." Brooke asked.

Haley bit down on her lip. "Yeah. It worries me a little. I'm always thinking about the future, you know? Whenever Nathan and I talk about the future or marriage, he always says that I'm "the one" but he says he likes where we are now, and it will be a while before we get married. He thinks it's too soon, but is it wrong that I'm ready? I know Nathan's the one for me. I'm not trying to rush anything, but there are some days where I just want to call him my husband. I just want to be Mrs. Scott already! Is it bad that I'm thinking about this, when we've only been dating for like 5 months?"

"No, it's not bad at all." Brooke replied. "Like you said. You know Nathan's the one, so you don't need any more persuading. But Nate's a guy, and they need time to process their emotions and feelings."

"Do you think he's scared of the long term commitment?" Haley asked nervously.

"A couple of years ago I would've said yes, but Haley, when I see you and Nathan together, it's like you're in your own little world. It's obvious to the whole world that Nathan and Haley are meant to be. It's a rare thing, but what you two have is special. Just give it time. Like you said, it's been five months, so Nathan's probably just worried you'll think it's too early. If you're still not engaged in another six months, then I'd be worried, but for right now, you have nothing to worry about." Brooke advised.

Haley smiled, "Thanks Brooke. I don't know what I'd do without you."

* * *

The next day:

Haley woke up with a giant smile on her face. She'd finally be able to see Nathan today. She reached over to her night stand, and grabbed her phone. She had one new text message; it was from Nathan.

_"Good morning beautiful! Just boarded my flight! I'll see you in about an hour! Can't wait ;)"_

__Haley instantly flew out of bed and got ready to meet Nathan at the airport. Her heart was racing. She was extremely excited to see Nathan. Once she was dressed, she made her self a quick cup of coffee, and had a small breakfast. Soon she was out the door, and on her way to the airport. Every minute she got closer to the airport, her smile got wider, and her stomach grew with butterflies. She knew it was silly. It had only been a week since she had last seen him, but she really missed him. After about fifteen minutes, Haley made it to the small airport, and speedily parked her car. She practically ran to the 'waiting room' of the airport and paced around the floor, eagerly waiting for Nathan. She couldn't help but smile at the thought about the time she first told him she loved him. It was in this exact same airport.

* * *

_Haley's head shot up, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the figure. Was it just a figment of her imagination, or was he really there right now?_

_"Hales, are you okay?" The voice asked._

_At the sound of his voice, she let out another sob, but quickly jumped up and ran into his arms._

_Nathan was shocked when Haley ran into his arms, but he instantly picked her up and spun her around. _

_"I thought you were on that plane." Haley cried into his neck._

_Nathan rubbed soothing circles on her back, and kissed the top of her head. "I couldn't do it."_

_Haley squeezed her eyes shut and kissed his neck. _

_"Shh, Hales. It's okay. I'm here now."_

_Haley pulled away, and looked into his blue eyes, with her teary brown ones. "I thought you left me."_

_"Never." Nathan choked out and gently placed her on the ground._

_Haley kept her arms wrapped around his neck, and kissed him senselessly. "I'm mad at you for almost leaving." She said through her tears._

_Nathan sighed, "I know. I'm sorry. That was so stupid. What are you doing here?"_

_"I came to stop you, but when I got here I saw the plane was taking off and I didn't know what to do-"_

_"I got off before it took off. I realized that I didn't want to leave you." Nathan explained._

_"Why did you leave in the first place?" Haley asked as she cried into his chest, not caring if her tears were staining his shirt._

_"I thought you were going to kick me out or say it was a mistake." Nathan said quietly._

_Haley softly rubbed his cheek and looked into his eyes. "I would never say that Nathan. I meant what I said last night. I want you."_

_Nathan nodded and leaned down for a tender, yet passionate kiss._

_Haley pulled away and bit her lip. "I love you Nathan Scott."_

* * *

Haley was soon pulled out of her flashback, when she heard someone call her name,

"Hales!" Nathan shouted, and dropped his bags, ans she instantly sprinted into his arms and flung herself at him.

Nathan picked her up off the ground and spun her around. "God, I missed you!" He said as he kissed her hair.

"I missed you too. So much!" Haley choked out a loud sob.

"Hey, don't cry! I didn't die!" Nathan joked.

Haley squeezed him tightly, and brought her hands to his face to kiss him passionately. "I love you."

"Me too. Always and forever." Nathan said as he ran his thumb over her cheek. "You got even more beautiful."

Haley rolled her eyes, "You're so cheesy."

"I'm serious." He said and kissed her sweetly. "You're perfect."

"Come on hot shot, let's get you home." Haley said seductively, and Nathan grabbed Haley's hand as they walked to her car and drove to her apartment. The entire ride, they were catching up on their weeks. The minute Haley parked her car, Nathan ran to open her door, he grabbed his bags, and they practically flew inside. Nathan instantly threw his bags on the ground, and swiftly picked up Haley. She let out a loud yelp, but he carried her over to the couch and threw her down, as he climbed on top of her and his mouth captured hers into a heated frenzy. She let out a loud moan, and ran her hands up and down his back.

Haley reluctantly pulled away, and Nathan attached his lips to her neck.

"Nathan." Haley breathed. "I wanted to make you breakfast." She said in a shaky voice.

Nathan continued to ravage her neck, "I'm only hungry for you." He smirked.

Haley was about to scold him, but she loved the way his lips felt on her.

After about an hour of making out, among other things, Haley had made Nathan a hearty breakfast, as they talked about everything and anything. They spent the entire day together, which included many kisses, and now they were finally in bed together ready to call it a night. Haley was wrapped up in Nathan's arms.

"It's good to be home. I couldn't sleep without you in my arms." Nathan said as he kissed her forehead.

"Me neither. I literally hugged your pillow for the past six nights." Haley laughed. "I like you better though."

"Me too." Nathan smiled. "It's gonna suck. I'm going to be gone for two weeks. I barely made it a week without you."

Haley sighed deeply. "You'll be home for our six month anniversary though, right?" She asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything." Nathan promised.

"Good. I can't wait." Haley sad as she nuzzled her head further into his chest, so she could get a whiff of his unique smell. She missed that scent. He was home, and she couldn't be happier.

Except that happiness would soon leave when he would have to leave again tomorrow night, and it won't be two weeks until she sees him again. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the fact that Nathan's strong arms were wrapped around her. All was good in the world.

* * *

**Next chapter will have a little bit of drama, and then the chapter after that will be the one you've been waiting for. hint hint. So just keep sticking with it. It's about to get good. :) I'm excited. I had sudden inspiration last night, and thanks to my cousin Shannon, I now know 100% how I'm going to end this story, and it will be nothing shy of amazing. I can promise you that. I'm sad this story is ending.**

**Only three more chapters left. **

**This one was a filler... sorry. Two week time jump next chapter! Stay tuned, and leave some love 3 **

**Thanks! **


	25. All or nothing

**warning: this chapter has smut, and an extremely dramatic ending... one last time**

**enjoy! **

* * *

~Three weeks later~

Haley woke up to the sound of her cell phone vibrating loudly on the table next to her bed. She slowly reached over, and fumbled around until her eyes adjusted to the light. She smiled softly as she saw Nathan's picture pop up on the screen. She sat up in her bed and clicked to answer the call.

"Mornin' beautiful." Nathan said happily into his phone.

"Hi." She mumbled sleepily.

"Oh I'm sorry Hales, did I wake you up?" Nathan asked in a somber tone. "I forgot there was a time zone change. I'm in Texas right now. We had a late night scrimmage with the Spurs."

"No it's okay. I have to get ready for work soon anyway."

"Ok, because I would feel bad if I woke you." Nathan said guiltily.

"It's fine." Haley yawned.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Nathan asked into his phone as he packed some things into his luggage.

"I guess so." Haley sighed. "I miss sleeping next to you."

Nathan frowned, "Yeah me too."

Haley smiled, "You'll be home today though, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss today for the world. Happy six month anniversary Haley James." Nathan said happily.

A wide smile soon spread across Haley's face. "You remembered!"

"Of course I did you goof. How could I forget? These past six months have literally been the best time of my life." Nathan said honestly.

Haley sighed contently, "Mine too. I love you Nathan."

"I love you too baby."

"So what time do you think you'll be home?" Haley asked as she bit down on her lip.

"Hopefully around 3 your time." Nathan said as he glanced at his clock in his hotel room.

"I can't wait." Haley said giddily. "I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last saw you!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to come home but training has been crazy!" Nathan explained.

"It's okay. I understand." Haley said softly.

"I hate this. I hate not seeing you. I really wish I could come home to you every day, and hold you in my arms-" Nathan ranted.

"It's okay, Nathan. You're doing what you love. I support you one hundred percent. We'll get through this together."

"I'd rather be doing you." Nathan smirked.

Haley rolled her eyes even though Nathan couldn't see, "Figures you would say that." She laughed.

"It's true! I'd trade in the NBA so I can be with you every single night." Nathan said.

"Be careful what you wish more mister." Haley advised with a soft giggle.

"So what about you? How's work going?" Nathan asked.

Haley sighed, "Work's good. I just have so many papers to grade. I'm behind schedule."

"Well you're not allowed to do anything work related, so you better finish grading everything, because tonight is our night." Nathan said sternly.

Haley smiled, "Good, I can't wait."

"So do you have anything planned for us?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know." Haley bit her lip. "Maybe a nice romantic dinner?"

"Okay, that sounds good. Do you want me to take you out, or-?"

"Mhmm." Haley thought about it. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry. You know if I was home I would have planned something for us to do..." Nathan said sadly.

"It's okay. I don't care what we do, as long as I'm with you." Haley said with a giant smile.

"I like that answer." Nathan beamed. "Well how about we get dinner on the boardwalk, and then come home and share a nice relaxing bubble bath with a glass of champagne?" Nathan proposed.

Haley closed her eyes, and let those images sink in. "That sounds perfect." She breathed.

"Good. I can't wait." Nathan said happily.

"Neither can I." Haley said as she started to make her bed.

"Okay, well I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Nathan dismissed.

"Okay, have a safe flight. I love you Nathan."

"I love you too." Nathan smiled. "Have a good day."

"Thanks! See you later."

"Bye."

Haley hung up, and fell back on her bed with a giant smile on her face. She felt like she was a teenager all over again. Haley squirmed excitedly at the thought of seeing Nathan tonight. It was like she was waiting for her crush to pick her up on a date, she wanted to scream she was so excited. The last time she saw him was when she drove up to Charlotte for a weekend, which was two weeks ago. To say she missed him was an understatement. She was practically counting down the seconds until he would be home. Six months was a really big deal for them. As much as Nathan and Haley were in love, it wasn't as always as it seemed. To any outsider, they looked like the perfect, happy, love-sick adorable couple that they were. However, they had to jump through hoops in order to keep their relationship like that. It wasn't easy having a long distance relationship. Sometimes they were so busy, they never even got a chance to talk all day. They hated when that would happen, but it was inevitable. It would only get worse.

Nathan would soon start to travel more, which meant he would have even less free time, and be home less frequently. It was really taking a toll on Haley. She hated being so far away from him. She was used to being with him every second all summer, and sometimes it felt like she was single again.

In the end, Haley preferred this than any other option. At least- on the very rare occasions that she did- she was still able to see Nathan, and call him her boyfriend. She trusted him with everything. She was happy everything had worked out, and she would take advantage of Nathan being home for the next three days.

* * *

Haley sighed deeply as she glanced at the clock on her classroom wall. This day was dragging on forever. She just wanted it to be three o'clock already so that she could see her boyfriend of six months. Every time she thought about it, she became breathless. She couldn't believe her and Nathan have been dating for six months. She wouldn't trade the past six months for anything. It was the happiest she's ever been, and it was all because of Nathan. Just the thought of him sent butterflies to her stomach, and her heart rate pounded furiously. Throughout the six months, some of it had been hard, and they faced many obstacles as a couple, but she wouldn't trade it for anything. Nathan was her soul mate. Always, and forever.

Haley couldn't help but feel like Nathan had something big planned for her. She knew they had only been dating for six months, but she couldn't help but hope that Nathan might propose. Haley instantly smiled at the thought, and her eyes glanced down at her naked ring finger. Whether it be tonight, or a couple of months from now, she knew that one day Nathan would be the one to place a ring on that finger, and she would reserve it for him forever if she had to.

"What are you smiling about Miss. James?" Mikey asked with a smirk as he strolled into her classroom, just as the bell for eighth period rang.

"Oh, nothing." Haley said innocently.

"She's obviously thinking about her boyfriend! Duh!" Lisa said in a voice which reminded Haley of Brooke.

Haley giggled, "You're right Lisa. Today is our sixth month anniversary."

"OH MY GOSH! Stop! That's precious!" Lisa gushed and practically started jumping up and down. "You need to get married and have babies right now!"

Haley laughed, "I'll have to talk to Nathan about that."

"Is he coming home?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah." Haley smiled and fiddled with her necklace. "His plane lands at 3."

"Aw! I wanna meet him!"

"You will one day." Haley promised, but decided to get on with her lesson for the day. About fifteen minutes into the period, she heard her phone vibrating. Haley bit down on her lip and glanced at her phone. It was Nathan. She debate whether or not she should answer it, but since her students were in the middle of working on a worksheet she decided to pick up.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Haley whispered.

"No." Nathan said in a shaky voice.

Haley's heart instantly dropped. "Baby, what happened?" She rushed out.

"Hales... I'm so sorry..."

"Nathan, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's going on!" Haley said in a louder voice than she meant to.

"My flight was cancelled. Apparently there's supposed to be a tornado or something, and the runway was completely shut down. I don't think I'm going to make it home tonight." Nathan sad in a tight voice.

Haley bit down on her lip to keep it from quivering. She placed her head in her hands, and blinked rapidly in attempt to keep her tears at bay. "Are you sure?" She choked.

"Yeah, Haley, I'm so sorry. I feel horrible." Nathan said in a shaky voice.

Haley brought her hand up to wipe away her tear that was trickling down her face, "It's fine. I understand."

"Are you mad?" Nathan asked nervously.

Haley sighed and ran a hand over her face, "No, I'm just really upset. I need to go-"

"Haley! Please-" Nathan shouted.

"I'm teaching. I'll call you later." Haley bit out harsher than she meant.

"Baby please-"

"Nathan! Someone's knocking on the class room door. I need to go, I'll call you later."

Nathan sighed, 'Okay, I'm sorry. I love you."

"I love you too, bye." Haley breathed, and flung her phone on her desk.

She heard another knock on the door, and slowly got up.

"Miss. James, are you okay?" Emma asked.

Haley sighed, and desperately wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "No."

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked.

"My boyfriend's flight was cancelled. I'm not going to see him on our sixth month anniversary." She cried.

"I'm sorry." Her students called out in a pitied tone.

Haley sighed, and grabbed the door handle. "It's oka-" The words instantly died on her lips, as she saw who was standing in her classroom doorway.

She let out a loud shriek, and flung herself into Nathan's arms.

"How? What? I-... you...I..." Haley pulled away from him and starred into his fierce blue eyes.

"Surprise!" Nathan smirked.

Haley's jaw dropped, but it soon turned into a wide smile. "I can't believe this!" Haley gushed happily.

Nathan chuckled, and picked Haley off the ground, and spun her around.

In that moment, Haley didn't care that all 22 pairs of eyes were on her, so she instantly attacked Nathan's lips with her own. She still didn't understand how he was here, but she didn't care. She just wanted to kiss him.

"Damn! You go Miss. J!" Mikey roared.

Haley instantly pulled away as she heard her students hoot and holler.

"What are you doing here?" Haley gasped, still breathless from her mini make out with Nathan.

"I may have lied about the tornado, and I kind of took an earlier flight so I could surprise you." Nathan explained as he awkwardly ran a hand up and down his neck.

Haley playfully scowled, but it quickly turned into a giant smile. "I hate you- you wonderful- perfect man!"

Nathan laughed, and leaned down to hug her. "Did it work?"

"Yes!" Haley exclaimed. "I was so worried about you! I really thought I wasn't going to get to see you.I can't believe you did that!"

Nathan laughed again, and pulled away from the embrace. He then handed Haley a bouquet of her favorite purple flowers. "I told you, I wouldn't miss our anniversary for the world."

"You're amazing." Haley whispered as her eyes filled with tears again.

Nathan smiled genuinely, and leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Happy Anniversary Haley James."

Haley smiled through her tears, and hugged Nathan one last time. "Happy Anniversary."

"You guys are actually the cutest things I've ever seen!" Lisa shouted.

Nathan smirked, and Haley grabbed his hand and led him to the front of the class. "Class, I have someone I want you to meet."

"Holy crap! Nathan Scott is standing like ten feet in front of me!" Mikey screamed.

Haley laughed loudly, "Everyone, this is the love of my life, Nathan Scott. Nathan, this is my AP English class."

Nathan chuckled, and wrapped his arm around Haley, "I've heard a lot about you guys. Are you all good for Miss. James?"

The students all eagerly nodded.

"Holy shit! You're even hotter in person! You're so lucky Miss. James!" Veronica called out.

Haley giggled, and ran her hand up Nathan's chest. "Yeah, I am pretty lucky."

"That was so romantic! I'm in love with you guys!" Lisa gushed. "You're perfect together!"

Nathan smiled and looked down into Haley's eyes, "I agree. Your teacher is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Can you propose?" Lisa asked.

Nathan ran a hand down his face and laughed awkwardly, "Uh, not today, Lisa."

"How'd you know my name was Lisa?"

"Haley tells me everything, and based on your description I figured you were Lisa."

"What does she say about us?" Students started to ask.

"Nothing but good things." Nathan replied. "And if they weren't good things, I would hunt you down like I did with that kid from first period who hits on her-"

"You didn't!" Haley said in a shocked tone.

Nathan laughed, "Ooops."

"You're so dead!" Haley whispered.

"Can I get your autograph?" Mikey asked nervously.

"Sure." Nathan replied casually, and grabbed a sharpie to sign his name on Mikey's binder.

"Sweet! Thanks so much Mr. Scott!"

"No problem."

"So when can we call Miss. James, Mrs. Scott?" Lisa asked abruptly.

Haley blushed, and nervously rung her hands together.

"When we get married." Nathan laughed.

"Which will be when?"

"If I tell you, it'll ruin the secret." Nathan winked.

"Wait what? I'm confused."

"Just don't worry about it." Nathan smirked.

"Okay class! We still have fifteen minutes, and we need to finish discussing "The Scarlet Letter"." Haley announced suddenly.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "C'mon! I just got here! Are you really going to be the mean teacher and make the kids do work?"

Haley crossed her hands over her chest and gave Nathan a stern look. "I don't tell you how to run your plays on the court do I?"

"Uh... no?"

"Exactly. So let me teach." Haley said with a devious smile. "Go sit in the back of the class like a good little boy, and wait for me until class is dismissed."

Nathan smirked, and then leaned in closely so that no one could hear what he was about to whisper to Haley. "Good, now I can fantasize about having you on your desk." He winked, and then made his way to a desk in the back. Haley stood in the front of the class with a face as red as a tomato.

Haley quickly cleared her throat, and told her students to turn to chapter thirteen. She then began to read outloud, but stopped a few minutes later when she noticed Nathan had his hand raised.

"Yes, Mr. Scott?"

Nathan smirked, "Who's Roger Chillingworth, and why is the word 'shame' capitalized?"

Haley let out a small laugh, "Chillingworth is Hester's husband, who she cheated on, and Shame is capitalized because Hawthorne is personifying it."

"What's that mean?" Nathan asked as some of the student's laughed.

"I'll tell you later." Haley concluded.

"But Hales- I'm so lost."

Haley put her hands on her hips, and gave Nathan a pointed look. "Are you trying to distract me? Because it's not working."

Nathan decided to play up his charm. "Well I never paid attention in my high school classes."

"Well that's your own fault." Haley replied.

"Yeah but none of my teachers were hot like you are." He smirked.

Haley's jaw dropped open, "Nathan! That's not appropriate! I'm teaching an AP class right now! I love you for coming and surprising me, but I really need to finish this lesson."

"I'm sorry." Nathan pouted. "You can give me detention if you want. I wouldn't mind sticking around."

Haley bit her lip, and decided to ignore Nathan. It was definitely not easy, considering how gorgeous he looked in his button up blue polo and khaki pants. She felt bad for not being able to spend more time with him, but she really had to finish her lesson. She sure wasn't expecting a surprise visit from him... not that she was complaining or anything...

Finally, Haley finished the chapter a minute before the bell rang.

"Okay guys, no homework tonight, Enjoy your weekend." Haley said happily.

The bell rang, and students started to exit, but they all wished her and Nathan a happy anniversary, and that they "want Nathan to visit every single day."

Haley smiled, and waved to her students.

"Bye Miss. James, bye Nathan! Have a good anniversary." Lisa said before leaving the class.

"Thanks Lisa!" Haley smiled.

The students finally all left, and Haley walked over to close the door.

"Sorry for disrupting your class." Nathan said with a frown.

Haley smiled and slauntered over to him. "It's fine. I still can't believe you did that!"

"Sorry... I wanted to be romantic. Do you hate me?" Nathan asked as his blue eyes bore into her deep brown ones.

Haley smiled and leaned on her tip toes, "I don't think it's possible for me to hate you. In fact, what you did made me love you even more... I don't even think it's possible." She laughed and slowly kissed Nathan's lips.

"The whole teacher thing, is extremely sexy. Remind me to come to your class a lot more." Nathan joked.

"Okay." Haley whispered, and slowly slid her arms up and down his chest. "So I'm thinking I might give you your anniversary gift now. What do you think?" Haley asked.

Nathan's mouth went dry, as he looked into Haley's eyes. He knew that look all too well. "Hales.. you didn't have to get me anything."

"Shut up, and get on the desk." Haley said in a fake stern voice.

"Shit Hales. What's gotten into you today?" Nathan smirked as he watched Haley swipe eveything ontop of the desk fall onto the floor.

"My boyfriend." She winked.

Nathan swallowed the lump in his throat, and climbed up onto the desk. "Are are you sure?"

Haley licked her lips and climbed ontop of him. "Mhmm. You're in detention."

"Is this what you do to all of your students?" Nathan breathed.

"Only the ones named Nathan Scott." Haley flirted.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm." Haley purred. "He's really sexy."

"I can say the same about the teacher." Nathan said as he clasped his hands around Haley's backside.

"I've missed you." Haley breathed.

"I missed you too." Nathan whispered as Haley slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

"Thank you for coming home." Haley murmured against Nathan's lip, and Nathan simply just nodded. "Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend."

"And I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend." Nathan whispered, and ran his hands up Haley's back.

"We need to make this quick. Anyone can walk in..." Haley breathed heavily.

Nathan smirked, "This is so hot, you have no idea."

"Is this what you've been fantasizing about?" Haley giggled.

Nathan nodded eagerly. "Uh huh. I almost completely busted in the middle of you teaching."

Haley giggled, and started to ravage her mouth on Nathan's neck. "So sexy baby."

Nathan let out a loud grunt, "Hales, I need you. Now."

Haley looked at Nathan with fire in her eyes, and she swiftly pulled down Nathan's boxers, as she hiked up her black pencil skirt, and climbed on top of him.

They both let out content moans, and chased each other for their climaxes.

Haley panted heavily, as she rode up and down on Nathan's hard length. Nathan pulled Haley down and moaned into her mouth. He knew Haley could be loud when they made love, and since they were in a public building, he knew he had to keep her quiet.

"I'm almost-" Before Haley could finish her sentence, her eyes were blinded with a bright white light, and she screamed Nathan's name louder than she intended too. A second later, Nathan reached his climax, and kissed Haley's hair as he came down from his high.

"Wow." He breathed.

Haley giggled, "Was that what you wanted?"

Nathan nodded, "That was everything and more."

"Good, now hurry and get dressed." She advised.

"I can't believe we just did that!" Nathan said in an astonished voice.

"I can't either. That's so unlike me. I was just caught up in the moment-"

"Hey, relax... no one saw us. You have nothing to worry about. That was amazing. Thank you." Nathan smiled, and leaned in for a sweet kiss.

Haley looked down and blushed, "I'm such a slut!"

"Yeah, but you're my slut." Nathan said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Nathan!" Haley shrieked.

"Kidding." Nathan smirked, and helped Haley gather her things. "I'm really a bad influence on you, huh?"

Haley rolled her eyes, "I just wanted to do something for you-"

"Hales, you do something for me every day. You love me. You have my heart. That's all that matters." Nathan said softly.

"I still fall in love with you more and more each day." Haley whispered.

"God, so do I." Nathan said and pecked a sweet kiss on her inflamed lips. "Don't say I never gave you anything." He smirked.

Haley giggled, "C'mon hot shot, let's go home."

* * *

Once Nathan and Haley got home from the high school, Haley made Nathan his favorite chocolate chip cookies, as they got ready for their date night. Nathan kept his promise, and he treated Haley to a romantic candle lit dinner on the docks. It was early November, but the weather was still nice in North Carolina, but Haley ended up wearing Nathan's sweatshirt anyway. After dinner, the couple ended up taking a long walk on the beach. As they walked past the houses on the beach, they pointed out homes they liked, and talked about their future together.

"So do you want to build our dream home or buy one already built?" Nathan asked as they walked hand in hand along the shore.

Haley bit her lip, maybe this would be the time Nathan would propose...

"Well, I would say build our own, but-"

"But what?" Nathan asked quietly.

"We're still only dating, and we don't know what could happen..."

Nathan smiled knowingly, "Hales, are you having second thoughts?"

"What? No! Of course not! It's just... I think we should be more settled before we start a huge project like building a house."

"Okay, but I want you to know Haley, that you're it for me. I don't want anyone else-"

Haley smiled widely, assuming he was about to propose, so she stopped walking.

"Why'd you stop? Are you okay?" Nathan asked softly.

"Huh? Oh- yeah. I'm fine. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that even though we aren't engaged or married, I know that one day we will be..." Nathan said with a smile.

"Right." Haley strained. "One day."

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked sensing she was feeling a little upset.

"It's just... you keep talking about marriage, and how you want me to be your wife, but then you just say 'one day' but I don't know what 'one day' means!... I'm sorry... I'm being silly..." Haley said.

"No, you're not silly. I should be the one apologizing. You're right, I keep leading you on. The truth is, I already have the way I'm going to propose in my head, and it has to be on a certain day, and in a certain place. I just don't want you to think I'm not thinking about marrying you, because I am- so that's why I keep bringing it up- so that you think I'm afraid..I'm not. Because believe me Hales, I really want to marry you, but I also want the proposal to be unexpected and perfect, because that's what you deserve. The best." Nathan said with a wide smile. "So just... be patient."

Haley smiled and placed a blonde curl of hair behind her ear. "Okay." She said contently. "I think I can handle that."

"Alright good. So, do you want to wait a while to build the dream house?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, we'll take it step by step." Haley replied. "But I think it's okay to think about what we want, and start planning."

"Alright." Nathan nodded, "I think it should definitely be on the beach considering our history with beaches."

Haley giggled, and leaned further into Nathan. "I like that idea."

"And it will have to have at least ten bedroom."

"One for us, five for our five kids, and four guest bed rooms."

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "Are you still hung up on the fact that you want us to to have five kids?"

"Yes!" Nathan exclaimed. "I want a big family."

Haley laughed, "People probably think we're crazy."

"Why's that?"

"We've been dating six months and we're already talking about kids, our house, and wedding."

Nathan shrugged, "Baby, we talked about this on our fifth date! It's pretty much inevitable."

Haley smiled, and kissed Nathan's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I want to give you everything you ever dreamed of."

"You're it." Haley whispered happily, and plopped down on the sandy beach.

"What are you doing?" Nathan laughed.

"What do you say we make out in the sand like old times?" Haley asked with a smirk.

"I say hell yes!" Nathan exclaimed, and tackled Haley onto the sand as he firmly pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her passionately.

* * *

After the walk on the beach, Nathan and Haley made it back to their apartment and were now soaking in a hot bubble bath. The bathroom lights were dimmed and lit candles, as well as rose petals, were scattered about. It was truly a perfect and romantic night. Nathan had set it up when Haley was in the kitchen preparing chocolate covered strawberries. And now Haley's eyes were closed as she lay against Nathan's naked chest.

"I could stay like this forever." She said contently as ran her smooth leg up against his hairier one.

"Me too." Nathan sighed. "This is perfect."

Haley then reached over the tub and grabbed the two champagne glasses. She kindly handed one to Nathan and they clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers!" She giggled, and took a long sip.

"To always." Nathan said.

"And forever." Haley finished with a cheeky smile.

"I love you." Nathan said as he leaned down and captured Haley's lips in an earth shattering kiss.

"I love you too." Haley replied and leaned up to wrap her arms around Nathan's neck.

Nathan laughed as he saw the bubbles get in Haley's hair, and slowly removed them. "You're adorable."

Haley blushed softly, and started to nibble on Nathan's ear.

"Where do you think we'll be in six months from now?" Haley asked softly as she continued her ministrations.

Nathan shifted in the water to get more comfortable, and took a deep breath, "I don't know, but I know I'll be with you."

Haley smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hard length rubbing her stomach. "How do you know?"

"Because you're the girl of my dreams, and I'm never letting go of you. I know you want to get married, but I'm content where we are now. I don't need some piece of paper to tell me something I already know. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you." Nathan said firmly.

Haley smiled and kissed Nathan sweetly. "I agree. I'm sorry I keep talking about marriage... I don't want you to think I'm being pushy, because I'm not in a rush, I just want to know we're on the same page."

"I know." Nathan smiled. "We're definitely on the right page. I just want everything to be perfect for you."

"Thank you." Haley whispered breathlessly.

"Of course." Nathan smirked. "I'd do anything for you. You know that right?"

Haley nodded, and closed her eyes, and she sunk further into the water, and closer to Nathan's chest. "I do. And you know I'd do anything for you." Haley whimpered.

Nathan grunted, and quickly joined their bodies with the thrust of his hips, and he slowly rocked them to their climaxes.

Haley cried out loudly in pressure, and Nathan eagerly attached his lips onto hers, and explored her mouth when she parted her lips.

Ten minutes later, Nathan helped Haley out of the sub, and softly gently dried her off, and placed a silk robe around her. Nathan grabbed a fresh pair of boxers and slid them up his damp legs. He watched Haley through the mirror as she gently combed her wet hair. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You smell so good." He breathed.

Haley smiled, "Thanks."

Nathan smiled, and ran his arms appreciatively up and down her sides.

"So what's next?" He asked.

Haley turned around in Nathan's arms and starred intently into his deep clear blue eyes. "Well..." She whispered seductively. "I was thinking we could kiss some more..."

"That sounds perfect." Nathan smirked, and leaned down to kiss Haley but she quickly pulled away with an evil glint in her eyes, causing Nathan to groan.

"I want to give you your other gift."

"What those past three times weren't my gift?" Nathan smirked.

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, "That was an extra gift, but I have two more."

"Two more!" Nathan's eyes widened, "Damn, you little devil."

Haley blushed, "Not that... I mean actual gifts."

Nathan chuckled, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Of course I did! Six months is huge! I love you, Nathan."

"I love you too." Nathan smiled.

"Okay so go sit on the bed, and close your eyes." Haley instructed.

"Did you get new lingerine?" Nathan asked hopefully.

Haley rolled her eyes and shoved Nathan, "No, you freak."

"Damn it." Nathan frowned playfully, and quickly sat on the bed and closed his eyes patient for Haley's gift.

Haley went in her drawer and pulled out her gifts for Nathan, and walked back over to him.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Nathan asked.

"No!" Haley shouted. "Okay, now you can." She said as she placed the objects in his hands.

"What is this?" Nathan asked as he looked up with a small smile.

"Open it." Haley encouraged.

Nathan did as he was told and opened the purple notebook. It was Haley's diary from when she was eighteen. "I don't get it." Nathan said with a puzzled look. "You want me to have your diary?"

"Just read it!" Haley laughed.

"Oh! Okay." Nathan smirked, "Okay, do you have the date August 2nd written?"

Haley furrowed her eyebrows, "I think so. Why?"

Nathan simply smiled and thumbed through the book until he found what he was looking for. He cleared his throat, and began reading outloud.

_"August 2nd, 2008._

_Today was the best day of my life. Not only did I turn eighteen, but my boyfriend and I made love for the first time. Tonight was the night I lost my virginity. Ever since I was little I planned on waiting until marriage but don't want to wait that long. Besides, Nathan is going to be the man I marry. I just know it. We haven't said the inevitable 'I Love You's" yet, but I know it'll be soon. I love Nathan. But my friend Brooke said boys always say it first, so I have to wait until he tells me.. or if he tells me. I'm scared to tell him. This is all so new to me. I've never felt this way before. Everytime I'm around him, my heart feels like it's going to jump through my chest, and I get these giant butterflies twirling around in my stomach. I'm so completely and utterly in love with him it hurts. It's ironic actually... I never planned on falling this hard for him. First I thought it was a little crush, because he's insanely gorgeous, but it turned into so much more. He's everything I've ever dreamed about and more. He's the perfect gentleman, funny, kind, respectful, smart- even though he denies it- and has a body of a greek god! I never thought it'd be possible for me, the shy tutorgirl, to score such a hottie! He's perfect. I love him I love him I love him I love him I love him! I just want to scream it from the rooftops. When he looks at me- with his beautiful blue eyes- I feel like I'm the only girl in the world. I know it's extremely cheesy, but it's true, I don't know how to describe it. It's incorrigible. I've never, ever been happier. I want to feel this way for the rest of my life. I want to be with Nathan for the rest of my life._

_Tonight was perfect. Nathan was amazing. He treated me to dinner on a sunset cruise, and gave me a diamond heart necklace. It's beautiful! This night was perfect, and I wouldn't change anything. After dinner, we got tattoos. I know.. it's crazy, and so unlike me. I got a '23'- Nathan's jersey number on my back, and he got my initials on his inside wrist. I don't know why I did it, but I just want a reminder about the way I felt tonight._

_So anyway, when we got back to his cabin, everything was set up so romantically. There were candles and roses spread everywhere. Long story short, I decided that I didn't want to wait any more. I wanted Nathan. I was scared at first, but after the initial shock wore off, everything was so perfect. Nathan was so gentle, and loving, and... wow... I didn't think he would fit... but he did... and he was amazing! I never felt anything like that before in my life, but it was hands down the best feelings in the world. Just being in Nathan's arms, and the things he did to me sent me over the edge! It was everything I dreamed of and more. I don't regret anything for a second. It was the best birthday, and I will never forget it. I'm just nervous because I know we will be leaving for college soon, and I don't know what that means for us. I don't want to think about it, but I can't help but worry... All I know is that I am in love with Nathan Royal Scott._

"A greek god, huh?" Nathan smirked.

Haley hid her face in her hands, "Shut up!"

"Hey you wrote it not me." Nathan defended.

"I was eighteen!"

"Whatever you still wrote it." Nathan said proudly.

Haley rolled her eyes, "I shouldn't have even showed it to you. It's embarassing."

"Hey, no it's not. I'm honored. This was beautiful. I loved it. I love you." Nathan said as he put his hands on Haley's hips.

"You did?"

"Yes. It was perfect. I can't believe you loved me all that time."

"I should have told you." Haley said as she hung her head.

"No, it's okay. Everything happens for a reason. I believe everything that happened between us was what got us here where we are today, and you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything, because these past six months with you have been better than a dream." Nathan said as he ran his hand over her thumb. He then rolled off the bed and grabbed a small box from his suitcase.

"I love you so much!" Haley gushed.

"You better!"

Haley giggled, and handed Nathan another box. "Okay, here's another gift."

Nathan smiled widely as he opened the long black box. "This is so cool! I love it thank you!" Nathan declared.

"You do?" She asked as she bit her lip.

"Yeah I always wanted one." Nathan said referring to the thin silver chain that Haley gave him. "Can you put it on for me?"

"Sure." Haley beamed, and clasped the chain around his neck.

"Now it's my turn to give you your gift." Nathan smiled.

"Natha-"

"No, Hales-, I don't want to hear 'OH you shouldn't have!' because I did, and you have to accept it." Nathan smirked.

Haley bit her lip and giggled softly, "Oh alright."

"Open it." Nathan smiled and handed Haley the gifts.

Haley eagerly opened the first gift and gasped. "How did you-?"

Nathan smiled, "Remember our first date when we were eighteen, I took you on that little island no one knew about?"

Haley nodded.

"Well that night was really special, so as a reminder i filled a cup with sand, and brought it back to my cabin. I never threw it away, so I ended up filling a jar with it, and kept it all this time. I recently found it and decided to write our anniversary on the front so we could remember."

"That was so sweet!" Haley gushed.

"That's not all." Nathan smirked, "Now, this isn't anything all that special, but open the rest." He advised.

Haley opened the larger box and shriked happily. "It's a Bobcat jersey with your name and number on it!" Haley smiled.

"Yup! So this way when you come and cheer me on you can wear it. PLus it'll be a good warm-up for you donning my last name." He winked.

Haley bit her lip and hugged Nathan tightly. "Oh thank you so much!"

"Okay, there's more."

Haley opened the other smaller box, and gasped. "These are beautiful! I always wanted these, how did you know?" She asked as she was starring at the diamond earrings.

"I saw you looking at them in a Tiffany catalog, so I just took a chance and prayed you actually wanted them." He explained.

"They're perfect!"

"Good, I'm glad. Now open the other two gifts-"

"Nathan this is too much-"

"No it's not, just keep going." Nathan advised.

She then opened a large bag and pulled out a giant Bobcat teddy bear. "Aw! Baby this is so cute!"

Nathan smiled, 'i thought you'd like it. I figure you can hug it when I'm not arround." He joked.

"Aw thanks! That was sweet." Haley said as she hugged the giant bear.

"Okay, last one." Nathan said and handed her a black box.

She eagerly opened it, and furrowed her brows. "A key?"

"Yeah for my Charlotte apartment. Feel free to surprise me.. preferably on my bed naked... anytime you want." He laughed.

"I might just have to take you up on that offer." Haley said happily, and kissed Nathan passionately.

"Happy anniversary."

"Mhmm very happy anniversary." Haley smiled seductively, and pushed Nathan on his back as she straddled him on their bed. The rest of the night was shared with complete bliss.

* * *

**-THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER-**

Haley stood outside the Bobcat locker room, and waited for Nathan to emerge. Tonight was the championship. Nathan had carried his team to undefeated victory, and tonight would be the night that they battled the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA Championship. Haley had driven all the way from Tree Hill, right after work, and it took about four hours to get here. It was almost 7, and the game was about to begin. She hadn't seen him in about a week, so she wanted to see him atleast once before he started playing. The last few months have been crazy, but Haley tried to keep her promise and come up to Charlotte every time Nathan had a game on the weekend, and whenever Nathan had a day off he would always come to Tree Hill. One day he came at 7 am, and left a 7pm. Haley didn't care, because she got to see him. Twelve hours was better than nothing. They had kept extremely busy, but made the effort to talk every single day. Sometimes Nathan would call Haley at three am, but she didn't care, because she got to hear his voice.

She couldn't be more proud of her boyfriend. Haley watched every single Bobcat game on televison, and quickly picked up on all the rules and lingo. She knew Nathan was stressed about his games, and trying to stay in touch, and though it had been hard at times, they made it work, and their mini reunions were always memorable. ;)

Haley was excited that this would be Nathan's last game, because that would mean he would be home for the next few months. She had missed him terribly. She was also excited because she had a great feeling that Nathan would achieve his life long dream of winning an NBA Championship game.

Haley was pulled from her thoughts, when she felt two strong arms wrap around her body.

"Hey beautiful, I'm so happy to see you." She heard a deep husky voice say.

"I have a boyfriend you know." She flirted.

"Lucky guy." Nathan chuckled.

Haley smiled widely, and took Nathan's face in her palms as she kissed him deeply.

"God I've missed you!" She breathed.

"Me too. This is it though. After tonight, I'll be home." Nathan smiled.

"Thank god! I can't wait. Home will be so much better with you."

:"Thank you for being here." Nathan said seriously.

Haley ran her thumb over his dark freckle under his eyes. "Of course! You know I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"I like the shirt." Nathan smirked as he took in Haley's body. She had on his jersey that he gave her on their anniversary, and a pair of black leggins.

"Well I have to support my favorite player." She flirted.

"My own personal cheerleader?" Nathan smirked. "That's hot."

"Well 23 is my favorite number. I also have that number tattoo'd on my ass." She winked.

"That's even hotter." Nathan flirted.

"Well you look pretty damn sexy in this jersey right now." Haley whispered seductively

Nathan cupped her butt and leaned down to kiss her passionately. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm so proud of you."

"That means everything. It means even more that your here tonight. Thank you for being so supportive over the past few months. I know it's been hard, so thank you. We made it!" Nathan said with a giant grin.

"We made it." Haley repeated.

Nathan leaned down and captured Haley's lips in another heated kiss.

"Let's go Scott! Back in the locker room! We have a game to win! Kiss your girlfriend AFTER the game!" Coach Clifford screamed.

Nathan pulled away and chuckled softly, while Haley stood there and blushed.

"Alright well I better go. You'll be on the floor seats I reserved for you right?"

"Of course." Haley smiled. "Now go get them out there hot shot. Just remember whether you win or loose, you can still win with me." She winked.

"You're killing me James." Nathan winked.

"Go be great!" Haley called after him and watched as he ran into the locker room, and blew her one last kiss.

* * *

Haley blew out a nervous breath as she watched Nathan run back and fourth on the basketball court. The score was neck and neck with two minutes left. Bobcats had 68 and Lakers had 70.

"Calm down Haley, it's just a game!" One of the other player's wive's had said.

Haley bit her lip, "Sorry, I'm just new at all of this."

"It gets better with time." Tanya laughed.

"Do you think they're going to win?"

"It's too close to tell. But this is a very tense game." Tanya replied at the edge of her seat.

"I can't watch!" Haley said as she his her eyes with her hands, with a small space for her eye.

"Nathan just scored!" Tanya screamed, and Haley jumped up and cheered.

"Yay! You go baby!" Haley screamed loudly, and Nathan looked over her way and threw her a quick wink.

"Y'all are so cute together!" Tanya gushed.

Haley smiled, "Thanks, we get that a lot actually."

"So has he popped the big question yet?"

Haley let out a deep breath, "No. Probably because he's been really busy with basketball, but hopefully soon once the season is over."

"Yeah. I'm surprised y'all aren;t married already. Everyone can see how much you love eachother."

Haley sighed and leaned her elbows on her knees, 'Yeah. I'm just trying to be patient."

Tanya and Haley then fell silent as the Lakers scored a three pointer.

"Shit!" Haley screamed.

:Damn girl, you get tense! Chill out!" Tanya joked.

"I'm sorry, I just really want this for Nathan."

"I know what you mean. The boys worked hard this year."

"They sure did." Haley whispered, and kept her eyes glued on number 23.

"Scott is dribbling the ball down the court. 50 seconds left!" The announcer shouted.

Haley took another deep breath. She felt like her heart would burst.

Nathan made a fast break, and pretended to shoot but instead passed the ball in the air to Tony Battle who caught the basketball and jumped to dunk the ball.

"Another two points for the Bobcats! The score is now 73-72! It all comes down to this!" The announcer shouted.

"Oh my god!" Haley said as she started yanking on her necklace.

The Lakers dribbeled down the court. Haley was torn between looking at the clock, or looking at Nathan. Thirty seconds were left.

"Nathan Scott stole the ball! The Bobcats now have possession!" The announcer shouted excitedly.

Haley immediately jumped up and down, and cheered Nathan on as he made his way to the basket.

Fifteen seconds left!

Nathan was getting closer and closer. He had a wide open range to the basket. Nothing was stopping him.

Ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Nathan put his left foot, then his right foot, and stared at the white box right above the basket.

He roleld his wrist, and twisted the ball so that it would fall through the net.

Haley bit down on her lip, and prayed it would go in.

It was all or nothing.

The second he tossed the ball in the air, a Laker came speeding up behind him, and knocked him completely on the ground.

Everyone was so focus on the ball, no one noticed that Nathan didn't get up from the ground. Everyone except Haley. Her eyes instantly focused in on her boyfriend and she gasped. She wanted so badly to sprint up to him on the court and see if he was okay. Everything that happened after that was a blur. She vaguely remembered the announcer screaming that the ball went in, and the Bobcats won. She didn't notice that Tanya was hugging her. She hadn't paid attention to any of the fans, or the confetti falling from the ceiling. All she remembered was Nathan being carried out on a stretcher, and feeling like her entire world had just crashed down.

* * *

**Cliffhanger. Sorry. Thanks Shannon for the inspiration.**

**I enjoyed writing this chapter even though I will be up all night studying for my Social Studies test... which I am going to fail.**

**Two more chapters left! **

**Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Leave me some love? 3 **


End file.
